Offa Robbery: Saraki Accuses Kwara Govt Of Political Vendetta As 18 Charges Are Dropped

Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has accused the Kwara State Government of using the judicial process to pursue a political vendetta against him over the 2018 Offa bank robbery.

The allegation followed the government’s decision to drop 18 of the 20 criminal charges initially filed against Saraki and former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed in connection with the incident.

In a statement issued through his media office, Saraki described the amendment of the charges as evidence that the original allegations linking the former governors to armed robbery, murder and illegal possession of firearms could not be established.

The state government, in an amended charge sheet marked KWS/114C/2026, reduced the 20-count charge to four, dropping all 18 allegations relating to armed robbery while retaining two counts and introducing two new ones.

The amended charges were filed against Saraki, Ahmed, their former Chief of Staff, Yusuf Abdulwahab, and former political aide, Alabi Olalekan.

The revised charges include conspiracy to belong to a gang of thieves, membership of a gang of thieves, and allegations bordering on the concealment and disappearance of a vehicle allegedly used for an unlawful purpose.

The prosecution’s application seeking the court’s approval of the amended charges was dated November 6 and supported by an affidavit deposed to by a litigation clerk in the office of the state Attorney-General, Ibrahim Sulyman (SAN).

Reacting to the development, Saraki’s media office, in a statement signed by its head, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said the government had abandoned the most serious allegations after months of attempting to prosecute the former governors on claims it could not substantiate.

The office questioned the withdrawal of allegations that Saraki and Ahmed conspired to carry out armed robberies at several banks in Offa, including Guarantee Trust Bank, First Bank, Ecobank and Union Bank.

It also recalled that the initial charge sheet accused the former governors and others of involvement in an armed robbery at Zenith Bank, as well as the killing of police officers and illegal possession of firearms.

Olaniyonu said the decision to replace the allegations with charges relating to membership of a gang of thieves “exposed the weakness of the original prosecution.

“Without commenting on a case that has been filed in court, we consider the amendment of the charges ridiculous, mischievous, ill-intentioned, and a further attempt to abuse the judicial process,” he said.

Saraki’s media office also questioned the motive behind the prosecution, alleging that the case was politically driven and intended to undermine his political standing ahead of the 2027 general elections.

It further claimed that the Kwara State Government had spent nearly N100 million on newspaper advertisements to publicise its allegations against the former governors.

The office described the expenditure as a waste of public funds, particularly as the government had now withdrawn the allegations it had previously publicised.

It also connected the criminal proceedings to a separate civil suit filed by some relatives of the Offa robbery victims against the state government, its Attorney-General, Saraki and Ahmed, seeking compensation over the incident.

Despite the amendment, Saraki’s media office said the former Senate President would continue to challenge the remaining charges, expressing confidence that they would also fail in court.

The development comes amid prolonged preliminary legal proceedings that have stalled the substantive trial since the case was instituted in April 2026.

The Offa robbery took place on April 5, 2018, when armed men attacked several banks and a police station, killing 33 people, including 12 police officers and a pregnant woman.

Five principal suspects were convicted and sentenced to death in September 2024. The Court of Appeal upheld their convictions and sentences in January 2026.

Saraki’s media office added that the former Senate President was currently in Offa, campaigning for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.

It said the reception he had received from residents showed that they had not accepted the allegations against him.