Saraki to Kwara Gov: Offa robbery case against me, desperate ploy by drowning politician

Former Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has described as a “desperate ploy by a drowning politician” the move by Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, to initiate a case of criminal culpability against him over the Offa robbery incident of 2018.

While describing the criminal case as “dirty politics taken too far and too low”, the Kwara state former governor, Saraki warned Abdulrazaq to desist from this despicable act of using the Offa robbery incident as a weapon anytime he came under political pressure over his poor policy conception and failure to live up to expectations as a governor of a state known as the “State of Harmony.”

The Kwara state government had initiated a 20-count charge of criminal conspiracy against two governors of the state, Saraki and Abdulfatai Ahmed, over their alleged arming of top suspects convicted in the tragic Offa armed robbery incident of April 2018.

Those also listed in the charge, filed under case number KWS/114C/26, include Yusuf Abdulwahab, former Chief of Staff to Ahmed, and another aide, Alabi Olalekan. The defendants are expected to be arraigned before Justice Haleemah Salman of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin on June 4.

The charges follow the Court of Appeal’s affirmation of earlier convictions linked to the robbery case, including Ayo Akinnibosun, who allegedly confessed during trial to being a hitman within a political network.

However Saraki replying the governor, wrote: “Ordinarily, my attitude to this insidious move by the incumbent Governor of Kwara State to initiate a case of criminal liability against me in the unfortunate incident of armed robbery which happened in Offa community eight years ago should be to shrug it off and say that we will meet in court since I know I have nothing to do with the incident or any other crime for that matter.

“However, I have been inundated with calls from many well-meaning Nigerians who were surprised by this turn of events. Thus, for the benefit of the general public, let me categorically state that I have nothing to do directly or indirectly with any case of armed robbery or any criminal matter, whatsoever. The Offa robbery incident was designed under the Buhari administration with the connivance of some individuals from Kwara State as an instrument of blackmail to seize political power from our group in 2019.

“The case was investigated by the police team from the office of the Inspector General of Police. However, following the investigation, in two separate legal advices dated June 22nd, 2018, and August 23rd, 2018, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) stated that there was no evidence directly or indirectly linking me to the robbery incident.

“The DPP in his first legal advice stated that “For the Senate President and the Kwara State Governor, this office is unable to establish from the evidence in the interim report a nexus between the alleged offence and the suspects”.

In a second report, the DPP stated that “With regards to the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, since there is no departure from the earlier findings in the interim report, this office is still unable to establish any prima facie case against him for any offences of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and culpable homicide.”

Based on the DPP’s advice, four suspects were charged in court by the Kwara State Government. They were convicted at the trial court and the conviction was upheld by the appellate court. The matter is now before the Supreme Court.

“Suddenly, the governor woke up after I granted my interview to Channels TV where I commented on the insecurity in the state and thought he could resurrect these baseless charges against his two predecessors. I noticed that in his propaganda plan to circulate his frivolous charges and other skewed documents as paid advertisements in the national newspapers, even before serving the defendants, he intentionally hid the DPP reports and other documents which put a lie to the charade he is perpetuating. These are deliberate efforts to mislead the media and induce them to give purchased publicity to the frame-up.

“Therefore, I am under no illusion that this case was a frivolous move and an abuse of court process to embarrass my person. My legal team will definitely meet this governor in court. I believe that Abdulrahman just feels that he could still use this case to harass and defame my person by abusing the judicial process. He had tried to induce the families of the victims to initiate civil litigations against the other respondents and me, but he seemed not to be making progress with that mischievous effort because the families backed out.

“I need to remind him that this vicious attack on my reputation because he enjoys the immunity of a governor is a huge joke on him. A sitting governor who is accusing his two immediate predecessors of armed robbery is only making a mockery of the institution. He is only taking the governorship of our dear state to the gutter. This is an example of dirty politics taken too far and too low. He ought to know that nobody at the national or state level is buying his claim. He is the butt of a crude joke. Many of those involved in the plot to blackmail me with the Offa robbery case have since faced judgements of the law of karma. I do not doubt that this governor will end up the same way.

“One would have thought that a governor whose state has lost over 400 lives to banditry between January 2025 and March 2026, with over 100 others kidnapped in the worst cases of insecurity since its creation, would concentrate efforts and focus attention on taming the menace by getting the bandits arrested to face justice. No. He is fixated on filing frivolous and politically motivated charges against his predecessors. This shows the dark mindset of the man who is the governor of Kwara State today. A man who emphasises dirty politics over development and security of lives and properties of the citizenry. He started working on this plot immediately after my interview on Channels TV where I flayed his lack of capacity in tackling the security crisis in the state. He thought this case would erase his record as the governor with the worst cases of insecurity under his watch in the state’s history. It is an unenviable record he has sustained by his lack of capacity and ability to tackle serious issues of the state.

“This is a mere act of a desperate politician who is losing control in his party and knows that his days in governance are numbered. It is the reason Nigerians should always take into consideration the level of education of those we elect into office. For a man who never completed secondary school education, it is difficult for him to appreciate the issues involved in any matter. His level of education is definitely affecting his judgement.

“Let me, however, reiterate my unflinching belief and confidence in the ability of the judiciary to give justice at all times and to all categories of persons, no matter who their accusers are and whatever the motivation is. I believe the judiciary will always sort out the chaff from the wheat in the various cases before it. My legal team have been fully briefed and I know this case against me will collapse like a pack of cards.

*Signed
Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, CON
Former Senate President and Waziri of Ilorin