Offa robbery: Police diverting attention from case of extra judicial killing – Saraki

The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has accused the police
authorities of diversion in the alleged extra judicial killing of a
prime suspect in the April 5, 2018 Offa robbery incident in which
33 persons were killed by the bandits.

Police had reported that the suspect, Michael Adikwu had died in
detention in prompting Saraki to demand inquiry into the
circumstances that led to the suspect’s death.

In response, the police authorities have said that the death of
Adikwu would not in any way stall the trial of the remaining
suspects.

Police investigation had linked Saraki to some of the robbery
suspects who claimed that they received empowerment from the
President of the Senate and that they were in the past, used by
Saraki to disrupt elections in Kwara State.

But in a statement on Friday by his media Adviser, Yusuph
Olaniyonu, the President of the Senate said that the response by
the Police was a mere diversionary tactic.

According to him, the action of the police was aimed at evading
the serious issues of human rights abuse, extra-judicial killing
and politicization of criminal investigations.

The statement clarified that when mentioned in his statement on
Wednesday that he had been vindicated, Saraki was not referring to
the outcome of a case which is just about to commence.

Rather, the statement said he was pointing to the belated
admission by the police that Michael Adikwu, the prime suspect, had
died in custody, a fact that was initially denied by the police
when he (Senate President) raised it a few months ago.

He alleged a cover up by the police in the mishandling of the
investigations and politicisation of the process, adding that the
police authorities have continued to make inconsistent statements
and committing more blunders.

The statement said, “The police, while reacting to our
disclosure that the prime suspect had died in custody, caused their
spokesman, Moshood Jimoh, to respond that: ‘Michael Adikwu is in
police custody in one of the South-west states…helping in the
investigation’. The same Police have equally documented the claim
that the suspect died during arrest. What a contradiction!

“It is surprising that the Police which initially allowed the
said Adikwu to grant interviews to several national newspapers
while in custody, refused to inform the public that the suspect had
died until the Attorney General of Kwara State mentioned it on
November 21, 2018 in the course of his address to the High Court in
Ilorin while applying to amend the charge sheet”.

Saraki urged President Muhammadu Buhari to institute inquiry
into the death of Adikwu because it has several implications for
the country’s legal system and its engagement with the
international community.

This, according to him, was necessary, in view of the consistent
allegations of human rights abuse and extra judicial killings
against the Federal Government by the international communities and
foreign rights organisations.

He recalled that the international community has consistently
cited issues of human rights abuses and extra judicial killings by
Nigerian security forces for refusal to sell weapons to the
Nigerian government in the fight against the Boko Haram
insurgents.

“One of the key issues those of us who have been engaging with
the international community on the need for them to support Nigeria
in the fight against terrorism in the North-east region through
supply of arms, provision of training and other technical aid has
been confronting is that of the flagrant abuse of human rights and
extra-judicial killings by our security agencies.

“This is an instance of what these international partners
complain about. The Presidency should make a point that the present
government does not tolerate human rights abuse, extra-judicial
killing, politically-motivated criminal investigation and refusal
to comply with global best practices by security agencies by
instituting an inquiry into the case of the death of this suspect”,
Saraki added.

The Senate President called for diligent prosecution of the Offa
robbery case so that justice can be done to the innocent victims of
the April 5 attacks, the suspects facing trial and the state whose
peace was disturbed by the sad incident.

Related

Magu Urges Diasporans to Own Corruption
Fight

Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, Ibrahim Magu has appealed to Nigerians in the Diaspora to own
the fight against corruption. Magu who was speaking today, Friday,
23rd November, 2018, as a guest speaker at the Black History Month
of the School of Business and Management Studies of the Queen Mary
University of London, said for the fight against corruption to be
effectively won in Africa, the job of fighting the scourge should
not be left in the hands of the government or anti- corruption
agencies alone.

In a paper titled “Taming Corruption: The way forward for
African Development” the anti-graft czar said Africa has been
baring the grunts of corruption for so long that developmental
efforts of government gets truncated as corrupt individuals divert
public funds to private pockets.

“This presentation supports the view that corruption is one of
the factors that contributed to the current predicament of the
African continent. The World Bank estimates that about $1 trillion
are given out as bribe worldwide annually, representing about 3
percent of world GDP.

There is another dimension of corruption in Africa that is worth
mentioning because of its greater destructive potentials. This
pertains to large scale corruption perpetrated by the ruling elite,
top government bureaucrats, politicians, business men, bank
executives, captains of industries in the private sector and the
rest. For example, between 1970 and 1996, capital flight from
sub-Saharan Africa through corruption totalled $187 billion, an
amount that exceeded the external debts of the countries
involved.”

This unprecedented financial pilferage, indulged by the African
ruling elites and their domestic and foreign collaborators, Magu
opined, have produced two immediate consequences.

“Firstly, the huge amount stolen by them and taken out of the
continent and hidden in safe havens in Europe, North America, Asia
and other places have virtually crippled socio-economic development
in Africa. Secondly, the corrupt acts of these unpatriotic African
looters have grounded many private and public enterprises, pushing
some countries to the verge of financial ruin.”

According to Magu, throughout the African continent, corruption
has caused severe wastage and misallocation of resources, delayed
growth and socio-economic development through missed investment
opportunity, lowered growth and widened inequalities. Likewise,
corruption continues to decrease government revenues, undermine
private sector development and increases inefficiency in the public
sector.

Magu said these massive effect of corruption on the continent is
what should raise a concern especially as corruption now
discourages Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) by creating economic
uncertainties, increasing operating costs, and distorting
incentives for investment. “Corruption is the single greatest
obstacle to economic and social development”, he added.

He thanked the organizers for choosing such a topic and for
initiation and engagement with stakeholders towards taming the
corruption monster.

“Taming corruption is, therefore, the only way forward for
Africa in its quest for economic development, political stability
and social progress. Fortunately, the task of taming corruption in
the continent is being undertaken by anti-corruption agencies
within individual African nations, and through collaboration with a
number of international agencies”, he explained.

The African Development Adviser to the Research Centre Tunde
Alabi said they chose to have Magu speak about the Nigeria’s
efforts toward eradicating corruption because of the milestone
achievements the EFCC has recorded under him.

He stated that corruption has become a cancer in Nigeria and it
requires the support of all Nigerians especially those in the
Diaspora to use their voice and network to put pressure on Nigerian
government to build a strong institution that will tackle
corruption before it kills Nigeria.

In his reaction, the Director of the Research Center, Queen Mary
University of London, Dr. Bakre Owolabi said that if Nigeria
succeeds, Africa will succeed. He added “It is the strategic policy
of the Centre for African Research, Queen Mary University of London
to look for African led solution to African problems”.

“Corruption remains the biggest problem facing Africa. The
decision to invite Mr Ibrahim Magu to deliver a lecture at Queen
Mary University is due to his record of achievements in office
despite the challenges he faces”, Owolabi said.

Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity

EFCC Arraigns Ex-Kaduna District Head for N7m
Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arraigned
one John Ma’aji Kwasau before Justice M.T. Tukur of a Kaduna State
High Court on a one-count charge bordering on obtaining by false
pretence.

Kwasau, who was the District Head of Duste Gaya, Kajuru Local
Government Area in Kaduna State, allegedly posed as a heir to the
estate of late Honourable M.I. Yakubu.

He had allegedly deceived Nura Muhammad into believing that he
had the mandate of the family of the deceased to legally dispose
off a landed property on their behalf.

Having duly convinced him about the interest of the family to
sell the plot of land, Nura paid him N7 million. However, he later
informed Nura that he was yet to secure the authority of the family
to sell the plot of land.

Several appeals by his victim to have his money refunded was
rebuffed, thus, Nura took his cry to the EFCC.

Count one of the charge reads: “That you, John Ma’aji Kwasau
sometime in 2013, in Kajuru, Kaduna State within the Judicial
Division of the Honourable Court with intent to defraud, did obtain
the sum of N7,000,000 (Seven Million Naira) from Alhaji Nura
Muhammad under false pretence that you had the authority of the
members of Hon. Yakubu M. Ishaya’s family to dispose off their
landed property situated at Mararaba Girku, Nassarawa State, a
pretence you knew is false and you thereby committed an offence
under Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud Related Offences
Act and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

He pleaded “not guilty” when the charges were read to him.

Prosecuting counsel, Esmond Kogi, urged the court to fix a date
for commencement of trial.

Defence counsel, A. Maisamari, on his part, moved an application
for the bail of his client.

Justice Tukur, thereafter granted the defendant bail in the sum
of N1 million and a surety in like sum who must own a property
within the Kaduna metropolis with a certified Certificate of
Occupancy, C of O.

The case has been adjourned to January 24, 2019 for commencement
of trial.

Tony Orilade

Ag. Head, Media & Publicity

23rd November, 2018