Sequel to the revelation by the principal suspects in the trial of the Offa bank robbery incident at a Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin, Mr Ayoade Akinrinbosun, on Wednesday, that former Commander, IRT squad, Abba Kyari, offered him N10 million to implicate former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, in the armed robbery case, DCP Abba Kyari, has debunked the allegation.
The detained former Commander, Intelligence Response Team, IRT Squad, Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Abba Kyari, described the claim by one of Offa bank robbery suspects, that he offered him the sum of N10 million to implicate former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, as a ‘fat lie’.
Reacting to the allegation through his lawyer, Barrister Hamza Nuhu Dantani, Kyari, who denied the allegation, said throughout his service in the Nigeria Police, he “did not at any time coerce or force anyone to implicate anybody no matter how highly placed.”
This was as he wondered where he would get N10 million to dash an armed robber in custody when his salary and allowances for three years are not up to N10 million.
In the statement, tagged: “As Usual, Another Falsehood by Offa Bank Robber under Trial in Kwara State High Court”, the former IRT Squad boss said if he and his team did not have a conscience, they could have easily coerced Akinrinbosun (the robbery suspect) to sign a written false statement implicating anyone or by simply promising him a soft landing.
He said, rather, he discharged his responsibility in the police based on laid down laws, rules of engagement and police service rules.
The statement read in full: “On Wednesday 18 January 2023, a serial bank robber caught in the Act by Bank CCTV Cameras, without credibility tried fruitlessly to absolve himself of his sordid past by dragging the Police officer, Abba Kyari who alongside his team arrested him and Charged him to Court.
“He told the court that Abba Kyari, a well-known police officer with outstanding records in arresting armed robbers, Kidnappers, terrorists and other deadly criminals, offered him “N10 million to implicate Senator Bukola Saraki”.
“The bank robber, Ayoade Akinrinbosun, one of the principal suspects in the famous Offa Bank Robbery told the court in Ilorin, Kwara State that DCP Kyari who was Commander of the IGP Intelligence Response Team, IRT, tried to force him to implicate Saraki.
“That is a fat lie. One can easily ask, where would Kyari get that kind of money to dash an armed robber in custody when his salary and allowances for three years are not up to N10 million?
“If Kyari and his team did not have a conscience, they could have easily coerced Akinrinbosun to sign a written false statement implicating anyone or by simply promising him a soft landing but it is unethical and could not have stood in the face of probity in a court of law.
“Kyari with his many years of experience did not at any time coerce or force anyone to implicate anybody no matter how highly placed.
“Rather, he discharged his responsibility based on laid down laws, rules of engagement and police service rules.
“The Offa bank robbers voluntarily confessed that they were political thugs of Saraki. They confessed that Saraki was not aware of the bank robbery.
“They confessed that one of the Lexus jeeps used during the robbery incident was a dash from Saraki.
“These were the findings of the police investigation. All those involved in the Offa bank robbery were subsequently charged to court while some other suspects that were discovered not to be involved were released.
“Also Senator Saraki was not charged to court because it was confirmed that he was not aware of the bank robbery his political thugs carried out.
“The pictures of the Offa bank robbers with Ashobi in Saraki’s house during a ceremony and videos of the robbers joining Saraki’s entourage to greet the King in Offa after the bank robberies are all in the public domain before the Bank robbers were arrested.
“Its obvious Saraki has lots of followers and political thugs just like other Nigerian politicians and he may not know all of them directly. Also, he cannot be held liable for crimes committed by his Political thugs without his knowledge.
“If the police wanted to force the bank robbers to say something different, it could have been done easily by any Police officer without conscience by offering the armed robbers a soft landing because that is what armed robbers, kidnappers, murderers and terrorists want from the police, not money.
“It’s very laughable to attempt to clutch at straws to hear an armed robber in custody saying police offered him 10 million to indict somebody, a bank robber that you charged to court after investigation. Does that make sense?
“Again, Kyari and his team arrested these Offa bank robbers that killed 31 innocent Nigerians by using the CCTV footage of the banks that captured the robbers in the act, for that is there anybody these robbers will hate in this world more than Abba Kyari?