Senate President Bukola Saraki has approached President Muhammadu Buhari to institute an inquiry into the death of the prime suspect in the April 5 Offa robbery attacks, Michael Adikwu, because it has several implications for the country’s legal system.
Saraki, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Yusuph Olaniyonu, also noted that the development could affect the nation’s engagement with the international community
He said the international community had consistently cited the issues of human rights abuse and extrajudicial killings by security forces as major reasons for their reluctance to sell arms to Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram.
The Senate President stated,“One of the key issues those of us who have been engaging with the international community on the need for them to support Nigeria in the fight against terrorism in the North-East through supply of arms, provision of training and other technical aid has been confronting is that of the flagrant abuse of human rights and extrajudicial killings by our security agencies.
“This is an instance of what these international partners complain about. The Presidency should make a point that the present government does not tolerate human rights abuse, extrajudicial killings, politically-motivated criminal investigation and refusal to comply with global best practices by security agencies by instituting an inquiry into the case of the death of this suspect.”
The Senate President called for diligent prosecution of the case so that justice could be done to the innocent victims of the Offa robbery, the suspects facing trial and the state whose peace was disturbed by the sad incident.
