Offa robbery: Saraki faults Kwara govt over amended charges

Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has criticised the Kwara State Government over its decision to amend the criminal charges filed against him and former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed in connection with the 2018 Offa bank robbery. Saraki described the development as an abuse of the judicial process, questioning the basis for the government’s decision to drop 18 of the original 20 counts and proceed with an amended four-count charge.

In a statement issued on Monday by his media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, the former Senate President accused the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of pursuing the case for political reasons. The Kwara State Government had, in an application filed on Monday before the state High Court in Ilorin, sought permission to proceed with an amended four-count charge against Saraki, Ahmed and two other defendants.

The amended charge, dated November 6, 2026, retains two allegations bordering on conspiracy to belong to a gang of thieves and belonging to a gang of thieves. It also introduces two additional counts relating to the alleged concealment of a Lexus RX Jeep bearing the inscription ‘SARAKI’ as its plate number. Reacting, Saraki said the government had abandoned 18 charges relating to armed robbery after allegedly failing to establish a case against him and Ahmed.

He said the government had, since April 2026, been pursuing their arraignment at the State High Court and the Court of Appeal without success. “Last weekend, the state government that has set its legal team to be shuttling between the State High Court and the Court of Appeal seeking without success since April 2026 to arraign the two predecessors of Mr Abdulrazaq on charges of armed robbery suddenly made a U-turn and dropped all 18 charges relating to armed robbery on the Offa case,” the statement said.

Saraki alleged that the decision to amend the charges followed the government’s inability to substantiate the allegations against the two former governors. “For fear of failure, the government has chosen to change gear and explore yet other baseless charges,” he said. He described the amendment as evidence, in his view, that the allegations against him and Ahmed lacked a credible factual foundation.

“The amendment to the charge sheet only reveals that there was no case against these gentlemen from the beginning and what the state government is indulging in is abuse of powers, a travesty of the justice system, and mockery of the prosecutorial powers of the state,” he added. The former Senate President also questioned the government’s decision to discontinue the 18 counts after allegedly spending close to N100 million publicising its claims against the defendants in national newspapers earlier in the year.

He argued that the money could have been channelled into public projects rather than prosecuting allegations he described as unfounded. Saraki further alleged that the criminal proceedings were politically motivated, particularly because they were instituted in the build-up to the 2027 general elections. He also claimed that individuals allegedly connected to the state government had encouraged relatives of the robbery victims to institute a separate civil action against him and Ahmed.

The former Senate President said his lawyers were prepared to challenge the amended charges in court, expressing confidence that the allegations would not succeed. He disclosed that the development coincided with his visit to Offa and other communities in Kwara South to campaign for Peoples Democratic Party candidates ahead of the 2027 elections. According to him, the reception he received during the visit indicated that residents had not accepted the allegations linking him to the robbery incident.

Saraki also referred to alleged public statements by some former supporters of the governor, who reportedly claimed that the Offa robbery allegations were used to mobilise political support against him during the 2019 elections. The 2018 Offa robbery, which involved attacks on several banks and police facilities in Offa, Kwara State, resulted in the deaths of several people, including police officers and civilians.

The amended charges are subject to determination by the court.