'We love being called ‘Senate President Boys’

 Three principal suspects, arrested for their alleged involvement in the April 5 bank robbery in Offa, Kwara State, speak with EMMANUEL ONANI on their relationships with the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and the Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, among other revealing issues. Excerpt;

What’s your name?

My name is Ibikunle Ogunleye

What was your role in the Offa robbery?

I was involved in Offa bank robbery. 

Who sponsored you?

No one sponsored anyone. The person that led us to Offa robbery was one dismissed police officer, Michael.

Are you a political thug to Dr. Saraki, and Dr. Ahmed?

Yes.

How long have you been working for them?

Since 2003. I started together with AY. When we started that time, we started with Waziri Youth Forum. 

How much have you benefitted since you started working with them?

What they normally do, all their focus is Central (Senatorial District). If you go to Kwara Central now, you will see a number young men, ladies that are being sent to Hajj.

Do you have property, since you said you have been working as political thug all these years?

The issue of political thuggery...we are used and dumped. 

How do you mean? 

When you work for someone, and you didn't see anything positive! What I can say that I have to show for working for them, is the name: "those are the Senate President boys"; those are Governor Ahmed's. Those are the names... they just give us stipends.

We've been working for Saraki, Ahmed since 2003 – Suspects

Please, tell us your name

My name is Ayoade Akinnibosun.

What is your relationship with the Senate President, and the Kwara State Governor?

I’m their foot-soldier. I’m their political thug in Kwara South.

How long have you been working for them?

I have been working for them since 2003.

You were alleged to be part of the April 5 bank robbery in Offa, so how did you join the Senate President's condolence team in the palace of the Olofa of Offa?

I was at home when a friend of mine called me. His name is Shamsudeen Bada; he’s a boy to Bukola Saraki too. We have a platform, but I did not quickly see the message on the platform. So, he now called me and said the Senate President would be going to Offa, I now called Aro and Adex and asked them where they were; they said they were at the sawmill, that we should meet at home. We now moved from our house to Offa. On getting to Offa-which took us about 15 minutes- the Senate President was already inside and then he left. Shamsudeen now called me that Senator Rafiu was on his way back, but that the Senate President had already left; that we should wait until Senator Rafiu comes. When he came, we now went inside.

As we got inside, the Olofa was in; we all stood there with him. When he left, we now followed Senator Rafiu. On getting to one small village, Senator Rafiu stopped to ease himself. He now gave us N50, 000 to all the youths that followed him. That’s how he used to do normally. He sent one of his boys to give me the N50, 000, I now shared it. 

You came, you met Dr. Saraki, who left shortly, and you waited for Senator Rafiu?

After the Senator left, we all left to our place of living, which is Oro. Somebody now called; I have forgotten the person's name. The person said that Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed will be going to Offa. The person now said, 'look at his convoy; the convoy is even coming.’ That was how I called Adex and Aro again. So, we now met and moved to Offa again, with the Governor.

How many of you went to Offa palace to meet Saraki?

It was four of us. Aro, Edet and Murphy and I. 

So on April 7th, you were around when Dr. Saraki, Senator Rafiu, and Governor Ahmed visited Offa?

Yes.

You were involved in the Offa Robbery and you still went to join the prominent Kwara sons on condolence?

Yes.

Did the Governor give you money?

The Governor did not give me money; he gave money to the youths of Offa. 

How much did the Governor give?

He gave N250, 000. The Governor did not give me money; he gave N250, 000 to the youths of Offa; all the youths in Offa, through his Personal Assistant (political).

How much have you got from them since you started working with them?

I have not received anything much from them since I started; it is just this year and last year that I started benefiting from them.

In what way have you benefited from them?

I have a forum called, ‘Kwara South Liberation Youth Movement.’ They gave us two cars: a Lexus Jeep and Toyota Camry.

Since 2003 that you have been working with them, how many property have you benefitted?

I don't have any property anywhere.

You don't want to tell us how much you have benefited from working with them since 2003?

They don't give us things like that; we only benefit from things when they give us empowerment. When they do empowerment, we benefit. I’m their political thug; that was how I became mobiliser to political thugs.

Are you really involved in the Offa Bank Robbery?

I was involved.

Were you armed by the Senate President?

We were not armed by the Senate President. We were armed by one dismissed police officer. He is called Michael.

Does this dismissed officer have any link with the Senate President or Kwara State Governor?

No, no.

A friend invited me for the bank robbery -Suspect

What’s your name?

My name is Adeola Abraham.

How long have you been working with Dr. Saraki and Dr. Ahmed?

Since 2007.

Can you tell us how much you have benefitted from them since that time?

I didn’t benefit anything from them. 

You have just been working since 2007 without any benefits?

Yes. I'm into wood business...

How did you get yourself involved in the bank robbery incident?

I got involved through a friend. 

Were you sponsored, given arms by the Senate President?

No, the arms were given to us by Mike, a dismissed police officer, through our leader, AY. 

How did AY get the arms?

Through Michael.

What is your link with the Chief of Staff to the Governor?

I don't have any link with the Chief of Staff. The link with the Chief of Staff came through our leader; because we have a leader in our forum, AY.

My husband is abusive, drug addict, pastor tells court 

John Chikezie

A 36-year-old housewife, Ijeoma Okoli, who is a pastor at the Rhema Pentecostal Church International in Sango-Ota area of Ogun State, has pleaded with an Agege Customary Court, sitting in Lagos State, to dissolve her marriage as a result of domestic violence.

The 11-year-old marriage between pastor Ijeoma and her spouse, Ifeanyi Okoli, was severed by the court as all efforts at reconciling them failed.

The president of the court, Mrs Ibironke Elabor, said she observed that the estranged couple was tired of the marriage and could no longer co-habit.

Elabor said:  "Since both parties consented to the dissolution of the marriage; this court has no choice but to dissolve the marriage. The court hereby pronounces the marriage between Mrs Ijeoma Okoli and Mr Ifeanyi Okoli dissolved today, both parties henceforth cease to be husband and wife.”

She gave the custody of the two children of the marriage to the petitioner and instructed the respondent to pay N20, 000 monthly for their upkeep, education and other bills.

“Both parties are free to go their separate ways without any hindrance or molestation.”

Earlier, Ijeoma, a mother of two, who lives at Salako Street, Ogba, Lagos, told the court that she was fed up with her husband’s bad character.

She said: “My husband is aggressive, untrustworthy and troublesome. He failed to tell me that he is addicted to drugs which l later discovered after our traditional marriage in 2007.”

The petitioner told the court that her husband no longer love and care for her and was nonchalant about the welfare of their children.

“I want peace. I don’t want any problem in my life; the court should end our marriage as I do not love him anymore. As a result of the drugs, he has become very violent and he abuses me and the children by pouncing on us when he is angry; he may kill us one day if I do not end the marriage. I joined him in India in 2009 after I had our first child, when I got to India I realized that my husband is a drug addict. The marriage is toxic, full of domestic violence, verbal abuses and threats to life.”

Ijeoma also said she had been separated from her husband since 2013, when she and her children returned to Nigeria from India.

Her words: “I have been responsible for our children’s upkeep and I’m the one who pays their school fees. My husband is violent and I can no longer bear the pains; I do not want to lose my life. I pray the court to separate us so that I can live comfortably with my children.”

She pleads with the court to grant her custody of their children and to help facilitate the return of the bride price Ifeanyi paid in accordance to their tradition.

During the time of the dissolution, the petitioner’s husband, Ifeanyi, was not present in court but it was learnt he had earlier given his consent to the divorce.

Sergeant jailed twice, on way back to prison

Sola Adeyemo, Ibadan

A dismissed sergeant, who has been jailed twice for impersonation, may be on his way back to prison after he was arrested a third time for the same crime.

The suspect, Femi John, 52, said: “I want the Nigerian Police to take me back. What I did six years ago that led to my dismissal was just a hasty way of getting money to meet some demands.

“I have gone to jail twice for impersonating police and extorting people. I still love police job; I want police to take me back. There’s nothing else I can do for a living, except policing.”

John, who was arrested by the Oyo State Police Command, confessed to have been dismissed in 2012 for diversion of a 33,000-litre petroleum tanker in Oyo State.

The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abiodun Odude, presented John with 48 other suspects for different crimes and offences.

Odude said: "The suspect was recently arrested by the Iseyin Police Station for parading himself as a serving police officer and fraudulently extorting money from unsuspecting victims.”

Rather than be worried about his present predicament and the likelihood of going back to prison, John, right at the parade ground was begging and lobbying the Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Adekunle Ajisebutu, to facilitate his return into the Nigerian Police.

John beseeched Odude: "My CP, I want you to facilitate my return to the police because there is nothing else I can do. I love the job. I know you can do it."

The CP responded: "How can the police take you back when you have messed up the organization? What did you do in the first place that led to your dismissal? If that was a mistake, why did you sew another uniform for yourself and started extorting people, presenting yourself as a serving police?"

According to the suspect, he sewed police uniform and presented himself as a policeman because, “I have to eat and feed my family. What else can I do to make a living? This is the only job I know and love.”

Although the CP and PPRO repeated told John that he couldn’t be absorbed back into the police, he insisted that he should be taken to Abuja, so that the process of taking him back would start.

Speaking with journalists, John said: “I was once a police sergeant. It was condition that forced me into impersonating. It was the problem I had while I was in service that led to my dismissal. I was dismissed because I diverted a truck loaded with 33,000 liters to somewhere in Fiditi to sell. After I sold it, I was arrested, tried and dismissed. I had been parading myself as a police officer simply because I needed to look for something to eat and feed my family. I have been arrested twice, and I was charged to court. I served just four months for my first offence, and six months for my second time in Agodi Prison. I will like to return to the police if I get the chance because policing is a job, which I love so much. I cannot rob and I have to survive.”

Asked why he sewed a police uniform and gave himself a rank of an Inspector, John replied: “I promoted myself to an Inspector of Police after I discovered that I was not promoted by the police authority. My colleagues, who were sergeant in 2012, were promoted to the rank of Inspectors. So, I also gave myself the rank of an Inspector.”