As Senate President, Bukola Saraki intensifies his campaign to be Nigeria’s President Come 2019; the shadow of the Offa Bank Robbery still looms large on his political career.
The case took a new turn Monday as the Senate President has been summoned by a court to answer to new revelations against him in which several suspects are being tried.
A Grade I Area Court in Aco Estate, Lugbe, Abuja, ordered the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to issue a notice of summons on the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, in order to compel the Senate President to face a criminal complaint.
The criminal complaint was initiated against him by an Abuja based private lawyer and rights activist Oluwatosin Ojaomo in connection with the bloody bank robbery that took the lives of scores of people; including pregnant women, children and policemen in Offa, Kwara State, earlier in the year.
The lawyer to the complainant said his client had been given assurance by the Inspector General of Police that the court summons would be duly served on the Saraki who is the sole defendant the criminal complaint initiated by the private lawyer.
The criminal complaint marked, CR/196/2018, was said to have been initiated by Ojaomo under Section 89(5) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
The complaint was initiated with the intention of compelling Saraki to stand trial for allegations of his involvement with the suspects of the deadly bank robbery.
According to the complaint the refusal of the Senate President to honour Police invitation regarding evidence linking him to the robbery suspect amounted to obstructing a criminal investigation as well as disobeying a public officer carrying out a lawful responsibility.
This offence is punishable under Section 136 and 149 of the Penal Code Law.
On the 10th of September, the case Judge at the Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja Abdullahi Garuba Ogbede had ordered that summons be issued on the IGP to explain why Dr. Saraki was absent from court proceedings.
Also on Monday, the complainant’s lawyer, Mr E. S. Marcus, said he was informed by a Deputy Superintendent of Police in the Legal Unit of the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja, identified as Mahmoud, that the IGP had directed the legal unit to ensure the prompt service of the court papers on Saraki before the next hearing date of October 3, 2018.
According to the lawyer;
“The defendant is not in court. At the last date, the court issued a witness summons on the IGP to come and show cause as to why the police failed to effect service of the criminal summons, warrant of arrest and other processes on the defendant. The witness summons was served on the Nigeria Police Force by the court’s registry.
However, we received a call from DSP Mahmoud of the Legal Department of the Nigeria Police Force headquarters, that the matter has been assigned by the IGP to a particular unit of the NPF to effect the service of the summons on the defendant and arrest him.”
The complainant’s lawyer further explained to the court on Monday that his client, who was supposed to bear the responsibility of serving Saraki with the complaint, had to resort to seeking the IGP’s involvement in accordance with Section 122 of the ACJA, when it became difficult for him to serve the summons on the Dr. Saraki.
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The lawyer further informed the court that the Inspector-General of Police is required, under law, to either produce the defendant in court or attend court to explain why the defendant was absent after which he prayed the court to grant a short adjournment to enable the police to serve the processes on Saraki; the Judge acceded to the request.
Read the contents of the complaint below;
“Criminal complaint brought pursuant to Section 89(5) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015. Please, cause a summons for a direct criminal complaint on the defendant on the following terms:
That you, Dr Bukola Saraki, on or about the 24th day of July, 2018 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did refuse to honour the invitation of the Inspector-General of the Nigeria Police Force to report at the police headquarters in FCT, Abuja to answer to an allegation involving the investigation of some criminal suspects involved in a case which the Nigeria Police Force is currently investigating, thereby obstructing a criminal investigation and disobeying a public officer carrying out a lawful responsibility.
You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 136 and 149 of the Penal Code Law, whereas, the complainant is praying the court to charge the defendant accordingly.”