Former Senate President and two-term governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki, has rejected the criminal charges filed against him by the Kwara State government over the 2018 Offa bank robbery, describing the move as politically driven and lacking merit.
The charges, instituted on April 9, 2026, by the administration of Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, include a 20-count indictment that also names former governor Abdulfatah Ahmed. The case alleges a link between the two former leaders and the April 5, 2018 robbery attack in Offa, which resulted in multiple deaths and widespread destruction.
Reacting in a statement issued on Friday, Saraki said he had no direct or indirect involvement in the incident, insisting that the prosecution is an attempt to damage his reputation and score political points.
He argued that the matter had already been investigated during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, with findings by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) indicating that there was no evidence connecting him to the crime.
Saraki noted that the DPP’s legal advice at the time concluded that no prima facie case could be established against him or his administration. He added that based on those findings, only four suspects were charged, convicted, and their convictions upheld on appeal, with the case currently before the Supreme Court.
The former Senate President accused the Kwara State government of reviving a settled matter, alleging that the timing of the charges followed his recent criticism of the state’s security situation.
He further claimed that critical documents, including previous legal opinions that cleared him, were deliberately withheld in public disclosures of the case.
Saraki also criticised the state government’s focus, arguing that it should prioritise tackling insecurity rather than pursuing what he described as politically motivated litigation against past leaders.
Despite the allegations, he expressed confidence in the judicial process, stating that his legal team would contest the charges and that the courts would ultimately determine the truth.
The case has stirred political debate in Kwara State, with analysts suggesting it could shape the state’s political landscape ahead of future elections.
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