Senate President Bukola Saraki has raised the alarm that he had become insecure following alleged hostility towards him and his supporters in Kwara State by the police.
This is as he said the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris should be held responsible in case anything happened to him.
Saraki who spoke with journalists on Friday at the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, campaign headquarters in Abuja, stated that the latest round of violence in some areas of Kwara State was part of the efforts to cause harm to him, his supporters, his immediate and larger family.
His words: “I call you today to bring to your attention to the sad development in my home state, Kwara State, and the role of the security agencies in giving cover to people who are unleashing violence on our people because they are surprised and cannot understand how and why the people continue to give massive and overwhelming support to the PDP across the state.
“The police have continued to show undisguised hostility to me and my supporters in Kwara State and this latest round of violence is part of efforts to jeopardise and undermine my personal security and that of my immediate and larger family.”
He said he would be involved in the ward to ward campaign of the PDP in his state soon, but was not sure what instruction the IGP had given the police command.
According to him, “the usual practice has been that the commissioner of police personally ensures the security of the Senate President whenever he visits his home state.”
He said however that he was not sure that he would enjoy such security.
He said the fear was hinged on the fact that the IGP had allegedly worked against him in different ways.
“We need to make it clear to the entire world that now that ward to ward campaigns is about to begin in the state and I am set to participate in that grassroots campaign as I have always done, nobody is sure what instructions Mr. Idris has given to the police command in the state. Thus, the entire world should hold the IGP responsible if anything untoward happens to members of my family and myself.
“Do not forget that before now, this same IGP has tried several tricks to implicate me in some criminal charges. First, he arrested some cultists and was about to compel them to claim they worked for me. We exposed the trick early enough and the media also pointed out holes in his story. He quickly withdrew that.
“Later, he went on to the Offa robbery case and politicised the investigation in order to rope me. In the process of forcing suspects to implicate me, the principal suspect died in their custody. He has also not succeeded with that plot. Who knows what else he may have planned? Now, that full campaign is on, which requires my going round, I want the world to hold him personally responsible if anything happens to me,” Saraki warned.
