Date: 2018-10-22

The Nigeria Police Force has blamed the Kwara State Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice for delaying the arraignment and trial of the Offa bank robberies suspects.

The force explained that it had concluded investigations into the multiple bank robberies and sent the case file to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who directed that the file should be sent to the Kwara State AG.

The police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, said that the force complied with Malami's directive in August 2018.

The statement was in reaction to the complaint by the Chairman, Kwara State House of Assembly Committee on Information, Abdulrafiu Abdulrahman, about the delay in the trial of the robbery suspects by the police.

It said, "On the case of Offa bank robberies suspects referred to by the Chairman of House Committee on Information, Kwara State House of Assembly, investigation into the matter has been concluded by the police and the case file sent to Attorney-General of the Federation, who directed that the case file be sent to the Kwara State Attorney-General for prosecution which the police has complied with since August, 2018.

"The Force has been waiting on the Kwara State Attorney-General to take over the suspects from the police for prosecution."

This is, however, contrary to earlier claims by the police authorities that the delay in the trial of the suspects was due to the overwhelming evidence against them which were being analysed by detectives.

Moshood had told our correspondent about three weeks ago that investigation into the case had not been concluded, adding that detectives were still sifting through "the overwhelming evidence the police have against the suspects."

Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has dispatched a special intervention force to restore peace in Kasuwar Magani, Kajuru, Kaduna State, where 54 persons were killed on October 18

He has also deployed the Assistant Inspector- General of Police, Zone 7 Headquarters in charge of Kaduna State, Niger State and the FCT to lead the team comprising four units of riot policemen, Counter-Terrorism Unit, Federal Special Anti Robbery Squad, Intelligence Response Team and others.