After shunning its invitation for questioning on the alleged forgery of the Senate Rules 2011, the Police will on Monday arraign the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, and his Deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, for forgery.
Others who are to be charged alongside Saraki and Ekweremadu are the immediate past Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, and the Clerk of the Senate, Ben Efeturi.
The Police had via a letter invited Saraki, Ekweremadu and others for questioning over the issue.
Top sources at the Force Headquarters, however, told The Eagle Online that none of those invited responded to the summons.
The Force Criminal Investigation Department, which was saddled with unravelling who altered the Senate Rules that was used in the proclamation of the 8th Senate and the election that led to the emergence of Saraki and Ekweremadu, invited the National Assembly leaders and others for questioning, but they did not turn up.
Apart from Saraki and Ekweremadu, others invited were a former Leader of the Senate, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba; a former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enag, who incidentally is the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters (Senate); the Secretary of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business; and the Clerk of the Senate in 7th National Assembly.
The letter of invitation, cited by our correspondent, dated June 7, said those invited were expected to appear before the the Force Criminal Investigation Department on June 9, 2016.
But none of them went for the questioning, which was scheduled for June 9, 2016, The Eagle Online was told over the weekend.
A national newspaper had exclusively reported that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, had given the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation and the police two weeks ultimatum to prefer charges against those suspected to have forged the Senate Standing Orders used for the proclamation of the 8th Senate.
The Senate Standing Orders 2015, alleged to be a forged version of the 2011 version, was used for the election that produced Saraki and Ekweremadu shortly after the 8th Senate was proclaimed on June 9, 2015.
The police invitation letter reads in full: “I refer to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police’s letter No. CR:3000/X/FHQ/ABJ/VOL. 186/98 dated 1st July, 2015 requesting the under-listed officials of the seventh Senate to report to the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department for the purpose of conducting investigation on the above subject matter: Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Majority Leader of the Senate, Clerk of the National Assembly, Clerk of the Senate, Chairman, Business and Rules; Secretary, Business and Rules.
“As at the time of writing this letter, none of the officials in the above seventh Senate list honoured the invitation to respond to the allegations, except the clerks of the National Assembly and the Senate.
“Consequent upon the above, you are kindly requested to inform the listed officials yet to respond to report to the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department on 9th June, 2016 for the purpose of further investigation on the matter.
“While hoping that you will accord this request the urgent attention it deserves, please accept the warm regards of the Inspector-General of Police.”
Trending
- Minister summons Lead British International School over bullying allegation
- Sex scandal : We won’t oppose any sanction against lecturer -UNN-ASUU
- Sanwo-Olu unveils EKO CARES
- UNN suspends lecturer for alleged sexual misconduct, begins probe
- Oyo LG honours Archbishop Ladigbolu, names road after late father, Akee Obayanritan
- Kogi Assembly blasts EFCC, demands removal of ‘wanted’ from Yahaya Bello’s name
- Zamfara: Passengers overpower bandits, kill one, seize two AK-47 rifles
- Aston Villa confirm new Unai Emery contract until 2027