Offa robbery: Saraki accuses Kwara govt of making false claims after dropping 18 charges

Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has accused the Kwara State Government of making false allegations against him and former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed over the 2018 Offa bank robbery.

Saraki made the allegation following the government's decision to drop 18 of the 20 charges initially filed against the two former governors.

In a statement signed by Yusuph Olaniyonu of the Abubakar Bukola Saraki Media Office, the former Senate President described the development as an admission that the allegations against them lacked credible evidence.

The withdrawn charges included allegations of armed robbery, culpable homicide involving police officers and illegal possession of firearms.

The state government, however, retained two charges relating to alleged conspiracy to belong to a gang of thieves and membership of the group, as well as allegations concerning the concealment or disappearance of a vehicle allegedly used for illegal activities.

Reacting to the development, Saraki's media office accused the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of abusing its prosecutorial powers and using the case to tarnish the reputations of his predecessors.

The statement said, “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.”

It further described the amendment of the charge sheet as a demonstration that the allegations had no basis from the beginning.

Saraki's media office also alleged that the state government had spent close to N100 million on newspaper advertisements publicising the allegations against the former governors earlier in the year.

It argued that the money could have been channelled into public projects rather than what it described as baseless accusations.

The statement further accused Governor AbdulRazaq of using the case for political purposes ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Despite the withdrawal of the 18 charges, Saraki's media office said the former Senate President would challenge the remaining allegations in court.

The 2018 Offa bank robbery involved coordinated attacks on several commercial banks and security personnel in Offa, Kwara State, on April 5, leaving several people dead.

The Kwara State Government filed a 20-count charge against Saraki, Ahmed and two other defendants in April 2026.

The case has faced several preliminary legal challenges and is yet to proceed to a full trial.

Offa robbery: Saraki accuses Kwara govt of making false claims after dropping 18 charges