Offa bank robbery: Middle-Belt youths accuse Police of framing Saraki

The Middle Belt Youth Coalition, MBYC, has accused the Nigeria Police of plotting against the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, concerning allegations leveled against him by some suspects involved in the Offa bank robbery incident.

The National Coordinator of MBYC, Abbah Emmanuel, at a media conference held in Abuja accused the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, of deliberate attack on the person of Saraki and the entire National Assembly.
According to Emmanuel, the move by police was a total frame up targeted at tarnishing Saraki’s image and political career.

The statement read: “We have hereby observed the recent events unfolding in the country. For some time, the Executive branch of the government has been at loggerheads with the legislative branch. This has been a source of concern to the youths and general population of this country. This unwholesome state of affairs has now escalated to an unacceptable level.
“To our absolute dismay, the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris, who refused to appear before the senate to explain the incessant killings across the country, has since then carried out a campaign to use the police brute force to deal with Senators.
“He has now embarked on attacking the person of the Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The conspiracy is to frame the Senate President for a robbery incident.

“This is clearly aimed to destroy not only the person of the Senate President but also the institution that the Senate president represents. To make matters worse, the government rather than caution the IGP, embarked on withdrawing the security aides of the presiding officers. This is designed to make them even more vulnerable.
“The latest venture will only serve to overheat the polity and destroy our hard earned democracy. If it continues unchecked, Nigeria will descend into anarchy. We therefore urge you to take immediate steps to caution this government from continuing along this unholy line.”
Emmanuel alleged that the executive arm of government has been disregarding and disrespecting fundamental norms of democracy with no regard for the National Assembly.

He cited the nomination of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, who was rejected but has continued to act in that capacity, arbitrary arrests of senators, recent invasion of the Senate chambers, and refusal of the IGP to appear on the Senate floor to address the issue of insecurity and incessant killings in the country as cases in point.