Layi Olanrewaju, Ilorin

A political pressure group in Kwara State, the Coalition of Concerned Kwara Citizens, has backed movement of arrested cultists in Kwara State to Abuja by the Inspector General of Polic (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, saying that the movement followed normal police investigation procedure.

Members of the group, who staged a peaceful protest, in Ilorin, on Monday, said that Senate President Bukola Saraki had nothing to fear about the movement of the culprits, adding that it was not the first criminal matter to be transferred from Kwara State to Abuja.

Speaking with journalists during the protest, spokesperson of the group, Gbadeyan James, who said that appropriate place to do justice to the case was Abuja, added that diligent investigation and prosecution would help reveal sponsors of the culprits.

Said he, “In the wake of 2003 election that ushered in the administration of Senator Saraki as governor, spurious allegations were made against some prominent Ilorin indigenes on plans to bomb Senator Saraki’s National Pilot newspaper office.

“The case was investigated by a senior police officer in the rank of DIG from Abuja and the matter was subsequently moved to Abuja.

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“Similar cases that were transferred to Abuja from Kwara include the Fulani/vigilante group clashes in Alapa, Asa local government are of the state, the Offa poly students/OPC and Oro Ago Fulani/farmers crises were examples of cases that were transferred to Abuja”, Gbadeyan said.

The group also called on the Chief Judge of Nigeria (CJN) to advise the leadership of Kwara State judiciary not to allow itself to be used on matters that are outside  its purview.

The people, who said that they have confidence in the IGP to investigate the cultism case, implored the police boss to ensure that all other members of the gang were arrested and brought to book.

“The people of Kwara State and indeed Nigerians are watching what becomes of this case. We would not relent in bringing justice to the matter.

“We shall go beyond the shores of this land to get and we shall do all within to ensure that party politics is not used to scuttle the course of justice”, he said.