Offa bank robbery: Abba Kyari offered me N10m, visa to implicate Saraki – suspect

A prime suspect in the Offa bank robbery, Ayoade Akinnibosun, has revealed that the former head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Inspector General of Police, Abba Kyari, offered him the sum of N10m and a visa to implicate former Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, and two others were charged to court by the police for criminal conspiracy to rob the banks, murder of nine policemen and other citizens, and illegal possession of firearms.

At the resumed trial on Wednesday, the suspect informed a Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin that Kyari also offered him a visa to any country of his choice if he implicates Saraki, but he turned down the offer.

During cross examination by the defence counsel, Mathias Emeribe, the suspect said, “He asked me to think over his offer very well. At this point, he ordered officers Hassan and Mashood to return me to the cell. A separate one different from where others are, and they should stop torturing me”.

He further revealed that he was not allowed to write any statement in Ilorin except his bio data until they were conveyed to Abuja in a tinted bus, where he was later kept in a place called “abattoir”.

The suspect alleged that some herdsmen were killed in his presence there, adding that he was mercilessly tortured and shot in the leg just for him to implicate Saraki, adding that the former Senate President had nothing to do with the robbery case.

While showing the gunshot wound on his legs to the Court, Akinninbosun added that one of the robbery suspects, Micheal Adikwu, was shot dead in his presence, a situation that got him terrified and made him agree to implicate Saraki in a prepared statement before the press.

The case was later adjourned till February 13 by the presiding judge, Justice Alimat Salman.