Some of the suspects involved in Offa robbery on Sunday narrated the roles they played during the robbery that claimed 33 lives, including nine policemen and their relationship with Senate President Dr Bukola Saraki, with some claiming that they were taught how to use guns before they went for the operation.
Ayoade Akinnibosun who holds a B.Ed. in Guidance and Counselling from Ekiti State University said: “I am the Chairman of Liberation Youth Movement, Kwara South. We are the Senate President’s boys. We work for him at Kwara South. We are the ones that hold Kwara South for him. We have three senatorial districts in Kwara State; there are some people in Kwara North and Central but we control the South.
“We have been working for him since when he was the governor of Kwara State. When he was in PDP.”
On the nature of work they do for him; he said: “We mobilize for him and we are the ones that do political arrangements for him. For example, where we cannot win, we mobilize people and make ‘dabaru’ arrangement there. We scatter elections if we don’t win.”
On Saraki’s connection with the bank robbery, Akinnibosun said: “He is the one that arranges everything for us. For example, this car (Lexus jeep) was given to me by His Excellency, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed through the Chief of Staff of Kwara State as a gift from the leader, Senator Bukola Saraki. I participated in Offa robbery and I took the Lexus Jeep along to Offa.
On whether the Senate President and the Governor encouraged them to rob and kill people, Akinnibosun said: “The Senate President and the Governor of Kwara State; we have been their political thugs. So that was what encouraged us to do what we did.”
On how they got the weapons: “It was through one dismissed Police officer, Michael Adikwu. He was the one that came with ammunitions. That fateful day, it was, Arrow, Alex, Stand Well Well and Niyi. It was five of us that went. We took off from Ajase Ipo with another Mercedes Benz to Offa. When we got to Offa, I positioned everybody but I stood at Total filling station. When we got there, we met Michael Adikwu who came out from one Audi car. He brought out five AK47 from a Nissan vehicle which was parked in front of him.”
On whether Saraki was aware of the robbery before they embarked on it, he said: “They did not send us for the robbery but because we are their political thugs, that was why we did what we did.”
On why he decided to rob considering that he could easily access the Senate President and the Governor and ask for anything, Akinnibosun said: “It is the work of the devil.”
On who gave him guns for political thuggery, he said: “It is the Chief of Staff to Kwara State Governor but he was not aware we were going to rob with it.”
Akinnibosun while saying he regrets his actions said: “We the youths of Nigeria should not allow ourselves to be used. We should not allow anybody to deceive us with anything. There is nothing out there. They are only deceiving us with stipends. My fellow youths, I am begging you with the name of God.”
On whether they were on the payroll of the Senate President, Akinnibosun said: “We don’t get paid in salary form. They give us money whenever the Senate President is around. We get N200,000 sometimes and N300,000.”
On the amount to they made from the robbery, he said: “I cannot say because all we got was kept with Michael Adikwu. We did not share it immediately because he said if we do, we will be caught by the Police.”
Another suspect, Ibukunle Ogunleye who claimed be a wood seller and also into politics said the Offa robbery was the first operation he ever went for.
On his involvement, he said: “I went to the same school with Akinnibosun. My involvement in Offa robbery was that our leader, Ayoade introduced the robbery to me and I later spread it to my two mechanics; Stand Well Well and Niyi.”
On why he killed people on that day: “The two people I killed was done out of fear because I was being disturbed when the whole thing was going on.
“I was disturbed by Michael Adikwu because he was shouting that the Nigeria Police dismissed him, took his job from him and that we will do them “Shege”. That was the word he used.”
On how he learnt how to use gun, he said: “It was Michael that taught us how to use guns. A day to the robbery, he was trying to teach us in a bush at a Ajase Ipo.”
On how long it took them to plan the robbery, Ogunleye said: “I don’t know how long it took Michael but it was three days to the robbery that I got to know about it by Akinnibosun.”
Another suspect, Adeola Abraham who is a mechanic and killed five people during the robbery said he hails from Oro, Irepodun LGA.
On his involvement in the robbery, he said: “I killed five people. While we were on operation, we were outside the bank and as the operation was on, the people were stoning us. They were shouting thief thief and kept on stoning. One of the stones hit me and so I got angry and decided to shoot them.”
Another suspect who is also a mechanic, Salawudeen Azeez said it was Michael who gave him gun.
He said: “I am a mechanic who specializes in Japanese motor. They told me that they wanted explain something to me and when I met them, they told me that we were going to rob.
“Niyi Ogundiran told me to stand in front of Zenith Bank. They gave me a gun to hold in case things go wrong and when things went wrong, I killed two people.”
On his part, Niyi Ogundiran who hails from Oro too said he was also a mechanic who repairs Benz adding that Ogunleye was his customer.
“They brought a car to me to repair, it was while I was repairing it that they briefed me on what they wanted to do and I decided to follow them. I was told we were going to share whatever we make from the operation but we ended up with nothing. I only killed two people.”
