Offa Robbery: Saraki Alleges Political Persecution by Kwara

Former Nigerian Senate president Bukola Saraki on Monday accused the Kwara State government of abusing the judicial process after it withdrew 18 charges against him and former governor Abdulfatah Ahmed over the 2018 Offa bank robbery.

The state government had filed a 20-count charge against the former governors and two former aides in April 2026, accusing them of involvement in the robbery in which several people, including police officers, were killed.

Saraki, through his media office, said the withdrawal of 18 counts, including allegations of armed robbery, culpable homicide and illegal possession of firearms, showed that the prosecution had no credible evidence against him and Ahmed.

The two remaining counts allege that the former governors conspired to belong to a gang of thieves and were members of the group.

They also include allegations relating to concealing or causing the disappearance of a vehicle allegedly used for illegal purposes, according to the statement.

“Both charges and 16 others with such ridiculous claims were dropped obviously because the government saw through the futility of the attempts to rope in Saraki and Ahmed and the fact that the charges lack any credible or factual basis,” the media office said.

It added that the amended charge sheet exposed what it called “abuse of powers, a travesty of the justice system, and mockery of the prosecutorial powers of the state”.

The original charges included allegations that Saraki, Ahmed and others conspired to rob branches of Guarantee Trust Bank, First Bank, Ecobank and Union Bank in Offa on April 5, 2018.

Another count accused them of robbing a Zenith Bank branch in the town while armed with guns and explosives.

Saraki’s media office also accused Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s administration of using the case to damage the reputations of his predecessors prior to the 2027 elections.

It alleged that the state government had spent close to 100 million naira advertising its accusations against the former governors in national newspapers earlier this year, describing the expenditure as a waste of public funds.

The statement linked the prosecution to Saraki’s political activities in Kwara South, saying the amended charges came as he visited communities in the area to campaign for Peoples Democratic Party candidates.

Saraki’s lawyers would challenge the remaining counts in court, the statement said.

The media office added that the amended case would fail in court because the allegations could not withstand judicial scrutiny.

“We want to further reiterate our assurances to members of the public, particularly supporters of Dr Saraki, that he remains unperturbed by the machinations of the Kwara State Government and that just as the earlier charge sheet collapsed like a badly arranged pack of cards, the amended charge will also fail in court because they are claims that cannot withstand the slightest judicial scrutiny.”