We were forced to implicate Saraki— Suspected Offa robbers

Alhaji Kehinde Gobir and Alhaji Shuaib Jawando, petitioners at the Kwara State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Wednesday narrated how they were tortured and humiliated by men of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

The petitioners who were suspects of the 2018 brutal Offa robbery accused SARS officers of high depth impunity and human rights abuses.

Both petitioners told the panel how they spent over 73 days in captivity in Ilorin and Abuja, saying they were tortured and accused of collecting guns from the former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to carry out the robbery operation.

Alhaji Gobir and Alhaji Jawando said they were mere supporters of the former senate president as the police threatened them to implicate the statesman while they were in detention.

While praying the panel to help redeem their battered image before the public, they also said the SARS officers confiscated their properties, including two Toyota Corolla, handsets, and N250,000 collected before they were granted bail.

They asked the Justice Tunde Garba led panel to intervene and ensure the return of their properties. They also said they were not involved in any Offa Robbery and were wrongfully alleged by SARS.