Inspector General of Police Solomon Arase promises to arrest Saraki without delay

INSPECTOR-general of police Solomon Arase has promised to arrest senate president Senator Bukola Saraki without delay after the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) issued a bench warrant against him for failing to appear before it.

 

Yesterday, Danladi Umar, the CCT chairman issued a bench warrant for Senator Saraki’s arrest for failing to appear in court in his ongoing trial for alleged false asset declaration. Senator Saraki had been asked to appear to answer a 13-count charge of corruption, which had been levelled against him regarding his asset declaration.

 

In charge number ABT/01/15, Senator Saraki is accused of offences ranging from anticipatory declaration of assets to making false declaration of assets in forms he filed before the Code of Conduct Bureau while he was Kwara State governor. In addition, he is also accused of failing to declare some assets he acquired while in office as governor, acquiring assets beyond his legitimate earnings and operating foreign accounts while being a public officer.

However, Senator Saraki refused to appear before the tribunal relying on an order issued by a Federal High Court on Thursday, directing that the case against him be halted. He accused the tribunal of pursuing a political agenda and said he was certain the court would give him justice.

 

In response to the bench warrant being issued, Mr Arase has vowed to uphold the rule of law and arrest Senator Saraki in line with Mr Umar's directives. Nigerian Police Force spokeswoman Olabisi Kolawole, said the arrest would be effected without delay.

She added: “We are going to promptly arrest the senate president, Dr Bukola Saraki and produce him before the Code of Conduct Tribunal on Monday. Since it is a bench warrant issued by a competent court, the order will be carried out without delay but we don’t want to pre-empt anything."

 

Senator Saraki, however, maintained that he is ready to submit himself to due process of the law on any issue concerning him but added that he has an inalienable right to resort to the same judiciary for protection when he feels his fundamental rights are about to be infringed upon. He added that Nigeria needs to be wary of a desperate bid to settle political scores and nail imaginary enemies, as this could destroy our democratic institutions and heat the polity up for selfish reasons.