Robbery: Kwara government files criminal against Saraki, Ahmed

Kwara State Government has officially filed a 20-count charge against former Senate President Bukola Saraki and former Governor 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.

The state government alleges that weapons and other exhibits connected to the crime were recovered from the Government House and a state ministry in 2018 and later tendered in court as evidence leading to the convictions.

However, Saraki has denied any involvement, accusing the state government of pursuing a politically motivated case aimed at tarnishing his reputation

In parts of the evidence presented in court, Akinnibosun allegedly claimed he led a group of armed political operatives linked to Saraki and then-Governor Ahmed, saying they received financial support and operational backing.

He further alleged that firearms and a vehicle bearing Saraki’s name plate were provided through a senior government official ahead of political activities.

The prosecution is expected to rely on confessional statements and recovered exhibits as the case proceeds.