N21BN THEFT: I DID NOT STOP POLICE FROM ARRESTING SARAKI -JUDGE

A Federal High Court Judge, Justice Gladys Olotu has denied issuing an order, restraining the Inspector General of Police (IGP) or his agents from arresting the immediate past Governor of Kwara State, now Senator, Bukola Saraki over allegation of N21,000,000,000 theft against him.

This was against the backdrop of some media reports (not Daily Sun) that the court stopped the police from arresting Saraki, pending the determination of his lawsuit against the police. It was counsel to the Police Mr. Femi Falana, who drew the attention of the court to the said media reports.

The Police Special Anti-Fraud Unit, Lagos had invited him to assist its investigations in a case of conspiracy, forgery and stealing the sum of N21 billion belonging to Joy Petroleum Ltd. However, a statement accredited to Senator Saraki's media aide, Akintoba Fatigun said Saraki had no relationship with Joy Petroleum Ltd.

His words: 'Saraki had decided to seek legal redress to put a stop to what appears an orchestrated frenzy calculated at smearing his name, assaulting his dignity and intimidating his person through deliberately garbled accounts and serial leaks concerning loans granted to a company that he has no relationship with.'

'While taking note of and displeased with the tendentious attempts to prosecute and persecute him on the pages of the media, Senator Saraki has asked the court to determine whether he could be invited by the Police to assist in investigating a matter in which he is not linked and for which no specific allegation has been made against him.

'Senator Saraki wishes to assure all Nigerians that he has nothing to hide and he remains a law-abiding citizen but that he also has a responsibility to protect himself under the law against what increasingly appears a deliberate smear campaign designed to abridge his rights and muzzle his voice.'

But Justice Olutu, who denied issuing such an order called on journalists to always crosscheck their facts before publishing their reports.