The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara state has replied the state governor – elect, Alh AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on his reported plan to interface with the police on the issue of Offa robbery incident.
The party in a statement by its state publicity secretary, Tunde Ashaolu express the belief that AbdulRazaq is ignorant of the issues concerning the Offa robbery case.
The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to Mr. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq who has just been elected as next Governor of Kwara State in last Saturday election to the effect that he will probe the Offa robbery incident after he is sworn in.
“While we consider it the prerogative of a Governor to choose what will be the priority of his administration, we believe this statement suggested one of three things is happening to the Governor-elect. He is ignorant of the issues concerning the Offa robbery case and has been given a wrong briefing, he does not understand how criminal investigation and prosecution process works or he is just outrightly mischievous. He may also just want to start his administration by overheating the polity.
“Whichever one is the case, we in the Kwara State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will like to let Mr. AbdulRazaq know that the police have comprehensively investigated the Offa robbery case and sent their reports to the Director of Public Prosecution in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) on two different occasions. And on each occasion, the DPP gave a clean bill of health to both the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and incumbent Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatai Ahmed.
“It is also on the basis of these concluded investigations which started in the state and later moved to Abuja and the legal advice from the Office of the DPP of the Federation that the suspects are now being prosecuted in the High Court in Ilorin.
“We therefore wonder what investigation Mr. AbdulRazaq still wants to conduct on the issue which the then Inspector General of Police had worked on and in which the DPP stated clearly that no prima facie case has been established against the duo of Saraki and Ahmed.
“However, if this is a priority to him, he should feel free to pursue it. We are sure that just like the previous efforts to implicate the leaders of Kwara PDP on the Offa robbery case ended as exercise in futility, this new project Mr. Abdulrazaq wants to embark on will end the same way. Mr. AbdulRazaq was insinuating in his statement that there was a cover up of some politicians in the investigations into the case but this is far from the truth. The whole world know that the then IGP who directed the investigation could never favour PDP leaders.
“Also, we need to state it clearly that if in its first public statement Mr. AbdulRazaq sent a strong signal that he would lay emphasis on victimization, demonization and witch-hunt rather than talk about governance and the need to diligently serve the people, he may actually have also indicated that the peace, stability and development of the state will not be a priority to him.
“Mr. AbdulRazaq should know that though our leaders have trod the path of peace by congratulating him and others who emerged from the last elections, if the style he wants to adopt in governing Kwara State is to blackmail and witch-hunt people, we shall be ready for him.
“Our leaders have made it clear that we are willing to give him the opportunity and co-operation he needs to provide good governance for our people. However, if his interest is to jeopardize the peace and create disharmony in the state, we shall be ready to show him that we have the capacity to match his war-mongering. A word is enough for the wise.”
