RE – STATEMENT BY SENATE PRESIDENT, DR ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI, ON RECENT POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN KWARA STATE.{PHOTOS}.#PRESS RELEASE

      In reply please quote

Ref No. CZ.5300/FPRD/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.2/

Date: 13th January, 2019

The Director of News

…………………………….

PRESS BRIEFING

RE – STATEMENT BY SENATE PRESIDENT, DR ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI,CON ON RECENT POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN KWARA STATE; ​

RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS RECORDED BY THE OPERATIVES OF THE FEDERAL SPECIAL ANTI-ROBBERY SQUAD (FSARS) IN THE RECOVERY OF ILLEGAL AND PROHIBITED FIREARMS AND THE ARREST OF VICIOUS AND NOTORIOUS KIDNAP FOR RANSOM/ARMED ROBBERY/CAR SNATCHING GANG TERRORIZING SOME STATES IN THE SOUTH EAST, IMO, ABIA AND ENUGU STATES;

ANOTHER NOTORIOUS ARMED ROBBERY GANG LED BY A SUSPECTED FAKE SOLDIER WHO OPERATES IN FCT, KADUNA AND BENUE STATES AND SPECIALIZES IN CAR SNATCHING FROM INNOCENT VICTIMS AT GUN POINT AND ROBBING THEM OF OTHER VALUABLES

RE – STATEMENT BY SENATE PRESIDENT, DR ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI,CON ON RECENT POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN KWARA STATE

· All the Police personnel attached to the person of the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, his office and family are intact and all the statutory security protection on the person of the Senate President are also accorded him all the time and there was no complaint from the Senate President before now to the Police on this.

· The Nigeria Police Force wishes to categorically state that all the allegations in the statement of the Senate President are incorrect, misleading and false and should be disregarded and discountenanced by the general Public.

· The Force sees this unprovoked and unwarranted attack on person of Inspector General of Police by the Senate President as criminal defamation, hate speech and insulting.

· As we speak, the situation report from Kwara State Police Command was that the APC holding a Governorship campaign rally at Agbaji in Ilorin came under a sudden attack by suspected PDP thugs, who disrupted the rally, damaged five (5) vehicles and some Keke Napep and wounded two (2) innocent people. The family house of the Senate President was not attacked as being peddled in some social media

The attention of the Nigeria Police Force was drawn to a statement in the media on Friday, 11th January, 2019 credited to the Senate President on the recent political development in Kwara State where he raised allegations that “…the entire world to hold the IGP responsible if anything untoward happens to members of my family and myself and that the Inspector General of Police is after my life” as serially false and mischievous.

2. The Nigeria Police Force wishes to categorically state that all the allegations in the statement of the Senate President are incorrect, misleading and false and should be disregarded and discountenanced by the general Public.

3. The Nigeria Police Force did not give any protection to any political thug or shield any APC thug to go to the family quarters of the Senate President in Agbaji, Ilorin and vandalize houses, shops and inflict wounds with machete on three (3) people as claimed by the Senate President. The Police did not equally receive any complaint or report of gunshot and wounding as claimed by the Senate President in other areas he mentioned such as Adewole/Adeta, Ile-otan and ubandawaki/pakata in Ilorin, Kwara State.

4. For avoidance of doubt, there was no complaint reported at any Police Division/Station within Ilorin metropolis or in any other Police Division throughout Kwara State on the 10th and 11th January, 2019 of any attack, wounding, shooting and destruction of any property by any individual(s) or any political party member. However, Security within Ilorin metropolis and other locations in kwara State has been beefed-up to ensure security of all Nigerians living in the State.

5. It is pertinent to state that all Police personnel attached to the person of the Senate President, his office and family are intact and all the statutory security protection on the person of the Senate President are also accorded him all the time and there was no complaint whatsoever from the Senate President before now to the Police on this.

6. The Force sees this unprovoked and unwarranted attack on person of Inspector General of Police by the Senate President as criminal defamation, hate speech and insulting. No doubt, the statement of the Senate President is evidently his characteristic mind set and pattern of misleading and misinforming the public to unjustifiably deride and castigate the leadership of public institutions such as the Nigeria Police Force.

7. The media will recall that while Senator Dino Melaye was evading arrest by hiding inside his residence in Maitama, Abuja, the Senate President made a statement that the Nigeria Police Force did not send a letter of invitation to the Clerk of the National Assembly by the Police inviting Senator Dino Melaye to report to the Kogi State Police Command for investigation for offence of criminal conspiracy, attempted murder and culpable homicide, this statement by the Senate President on Senator Dino Melaye was however discovered serially and entirely untrue and false, as the Police Investigation Team provided an acknowledged copy of the said letter stamped received on the 24th July, 2018, by the Clerk of the National Assembly.

8. It is incumbent on the Force to set the record straight and correct the wrong impressions that must have been created in the minds of the general Public and the International Community from the misinformation and misleading account from the Senate President. The Inspector General of Police is not after the life of the Senate President and did not try any trick to implicate the Senate President in some criminal charges as alleged by the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki; the facts are in the public domain about the suspects of the Offa Bank Robbery now being prosecuted who implicated the Senate President on his involvement in the matter.

9. As we speak, the situation report from Kwara State Police Command was that the APC holding a Governorship campaign rally at Agbaji in Ilorin came under a sudden attack by suspected PDP thugs, who disrupted the rally, damaged five (5) vehicles and some Keke Napep and wounded two (2) innocent people. The family house of the Senate President was not attacked as being peddled in some social media. Kwara State Police Command has brought the situation under control, normalcy restored and investigation on-going.

10. The Nigeria Police Force is hereby assuring all Nigerians that the Nigeria Police Force has no any undisguised hostility to the Senate President or his supporters in Kwara State or plan to jeopardize or undermine his personal security and that of his immediate and larger family. The Force will continue to be apolitical and will ensure adequate security throughout the Country for all political parties, their members and supporters before, during and after the 2019 General Election.

RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS RECORDED BY THE OPERATIVES OF THE FEDERAL SPECIAL ANTI-ROBBERY SQUAD (FSARS) IN THE RECOVERY OF ILLEGAL AND PROHIBITED FIREARMS AND THE ARREST OF VICIOUS AND NOTORIOUS KIDNAP FOR RANSOM/ARMED ROBBERY/CAR SNATCHING GANG TERRORIZING SOME STATES IN THE SOUTH EAST, IMO, ABIA AND ENUGU STATES AND

ANOTHER NOTORIOUS ARMED ROBBERY GANG LED BY A SUSPECTED FAKE SOLDIER WHO OPERATES IN FCT, KADUNA AND BENUE STATES AND SPECIALIZES IN CAR SNATCHING FROM INNOCENT VICTIMS AT GUN POINT AND ROBBING THEM OF OTHER VALUABLES

It would be recalled that on the 14th August, 2018, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, NPM, mni, ordered the immediate overhauling of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) to address complaints and allegations on human rights violations against some of the personnel of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) from members of the public in some parts of the Country and make the Squad more intelligence driven, effective and efficient in the prevention and detection of Armed Robbery, Kidnapping and the apprehension of offenders linked to the stated offences only. These efforts have resulted in several landmark achievements in the arrest of vicious and notorious criminal gangs.

CASE 2

ARREST OF VICIOUS AND NOTORIOUS KIDNAP FOR RANSOM/ARMED ROBBERY/CAR SNATCHING GANG TERRORIZING SOME STATES IN THE SOUTH EAST, IMO, ABIA AND ENUGU STATES AND RECOVERY OF ILLEGAL AND PROHIBITED FIREARMS

SUSPECTS

i. Ugonna Okpareke a.k.a Gomens King ‘m’ 28yrs

ii. Chikezie Bright Udodiri ‘m’ a.k.a ability (at large)

iii. China Okafor a.k.a hunter (at large)

iv. Emmanuel Chidi a.k.a emperor (at large)

v. Chikezie kingsley ‘m’ 24yrs

vi. Chikezie Izuchukwu ‘m’ 26yrs

vii. Nwaihim Promise ‘m’ 22yrs

viii. Adams Okpareke ‘m’ 28yrs

ix. Awuf ‘m’

EXHIBITS

i. Six (6) AK47 Rifles

ii. Four (4) Pump Action Guns

iii. One (1) revolver pistol

iv. One (1) locally made pistol.

v. Fifty Seven (57) rounds of AK47 ammunition

vi. Twenty Two (22) live cartridges

vii. One (1) Toyota Corolla with Reg. No CE 639 KZ

On 8th January, 2019, a team of operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) led by ACP Ahmed M. Sanusi moved to Enugu State on investigation and arrested one Ugonna Okpareke a.k.a Gomens King ‘m’ 28yrs – Gang Leader of one of the most wanted Kidnap for ransom gang involved in several kidnappings, armed robbery, murder and cultism in the South East, Imo, Abia and Enugu States.

2. The gang leader, Ugonna Okpareke a.k.a Gomens King was trailed and arrested, he confessed to the Police Investigation Team that he is the leader and commander of a vicious and notorious kidnap for ransom/armed robbery gang and mentioned his gang members as Chikezie Bright Udodiri ‘m’ a.k.a ability, Awuf ‘m’ (at large), China Okafor a.k.a hunter and Emmanuel Chidi a.k.a emperor. He also confessed to the Police investigation Team that they have four (4) AK47 rifles and four (4) locally made pistols which they use for their operations and revealed the locations of their camps at Unimo, Orlu and Osinah Idato South LGA of Imo State.

3. The follow-up operations carried out by the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) led to the arrest of the four (4) other members of the gang i. Chikezie kingsley ‘m’ 24yrs, ii. Chikezie Izuchukwu ‘m’ 26yrs, Nwaihim Promise ‘m’ 22yrs and Adams Okpareke ‘m’ 28yrs.

4. Exhibits recovered from the suspects at their various hideouts include Two (2) AK47 rifles, Two (2) Pump Action Gun, One (1) locally made pistol, Twenty Seven (27) rounds of AK47 ammunition, Ten (10) live cartridges, One (1) Toyota Corolla with Reg. No CE 639 KZ.

5. Further investigations led to the discovery of the armoury of the suspects where the FSARS team recovered additional Four (4) AK47 Rifles, Two (2) Pump Action Guns, Thirty (30) rounds of AK47 ammunition, Twelve (12) live cartridges. The gang confessed to have killed several innocent people who could not meet up with payment of ransom, including four (4) victims killed this January in Imo and Enugu States.

6. All the suspects have confessed and admitted to their various criminal roles in the commission of the crimes. They will all be arraigned in Court on completion of investigation.

CASE 3

CASE OF CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY AND ARMED ROBBERY

SUSPECTS

i. Suspected fake soldier L/CPL Achile Solomon with forged Service Number NA 013691256 who has been parading himself as a serving soldier attached to the 192 battalion, Owode, Ogun State,

ii. Matthew Okita

iii. Sunday Otene

EXHIBITS

i. One locally fabricated pistol

ii. One Magazine

iii. Two (2) live 9mm ammunition

iv. One Acura Saloon with Reg. No. LSD 217 CN

v. One (1) pair of suspected fake military uniform

vi. One (1) Pair suspected fake military Desert Boot

vii. One (1) Pair suspected fake military face cap

viii. Two (2) pairs of suspected fake Military-police barrette

ix. Three (3) suspected forged Nigeria Army identity cards recovered from the suspected fake L/CPL Solomon Echile

x. Two (2) suspected fake military Bush hats

xi. Two (2) IPAD

xii. One (1) Nokia Mobile Phone

xiii. Four (4) ATM Cards

On 25th July, 2018 at about 2100hrs, consequent on the distress call received from one Francis Moloku of Maraba, Karu LGA of Nasarawa State who reported that he was attacked at gun point by four (4) armed men along Area 11, Garki, FCT, Abuja who robbed him of his Toyota Corolla with Reg. No. RSH 793 DE 2004 model and other valuables.

2. Operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) were immediately dispatched to the scene; they relentlessly trailed the suspects and intercepted them on their way to their hideout in Makurdi, Benue State. The Federal SARS team after exchange of gun fire with the suspects arrested the gang leader, one suspected fake soldier with forged service No. 013691256, L/CPL Achile Solomon who has been parading himself as a serving soldier attached to the 192 battalion Owode, Ogun State and his gang members Matthew Okita, Sunday Otene and the said Toyota Corolla recovered from them.

3. The suspects confessed and admitted to be members of a four (4) man armed robbery gang with their commander called Idu still at large. They also confessed to the Police Investigation Team that they operate in FCT, Kaduna and Benue axis, attack and rob innocent members of the public of their vehicles, money and other valuable items.

4. All the above mentioned exhibits were also recovered from their possession. They will be arraigned in court on completion of investigation.

Ag. DCP JIMOH MOSHOOD
FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
FORCE HEADQUARTERS
ABUJA.

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