Police lay siege at Saraki, Ekweremadu’s residences as Senate President laments political witch-hunt
Operatives of the Department of State Services this morning laid siege to the residence of Senate President Bukola Saraki.
The operatives were also sighted at the residence of Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.
The police had yesterday summoned Saraki to appear and respond to allegations that he sponsored political thugs, who were arrested in connection with the killing of 31 persons in a robbery in Ofa, Kwara State on April 5.
The tension is widely believed to be as a result of rumours that the Senate President planned to defect from the ruling party, APC.
Saraki, through his spokesperson Yusuph Olaniyonu on Monday, had said the plot to compel him to stay in a party “where its members are criminalised” will fail.
He alleged that the police have “obviously corrupted and politicised their investigations into the Offa robbery incident.”
“They have turned it into an instrument for the party in power to suppress perceived opponents, witchunt issue for blackmailing people from freely choosing which platform on which they want to pursue their ambition and a matter for harassing the people whose exit from APC would harm the chances of the party in the forthcoming elections,” the statement read.
“I want to make it apparent that I have no hand in either the robbery incident or any criminal activity. The police in their haste to embarrass me sent the invitation to me at 8pm and requested that I report to the station by 8am tomorrow morning. This obviously demonstrated their desperation as I do not see why they are now in a hurry.
“They also stated in today’s letter that because in my response of June 7, 2018 to their own letter written on June 4, 2018, I stated that I was responding simply to the contents of the letter and that the full text of the statement made by the arrested suspects which they claimed indicted me was not made available to me, they were now including the suspects statements in the current letter. Yet, instead of including the suspects’ statements, they only attached two copies of my own letter to the invitation. No suspects statement was made available.
“This plot aimed at compelling me and my associates to stay in a party where members are criminalised without just cause, where injustice is perpetrated at the highest level and where there is no respect for constitutionalism is an exercise in futility and it will fail.
“Once again, my confidence in God and our judicial system remains intact and unshaken. The truth shall also prevail in this case.”
