Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has accused the Kwara State Government of abusing the judicial process following its decision to withdraw 18 of the 20 criminal charges filed against him and former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed over the 2018 Offa bank robbery.
Gatekeepers News reports that Saraki, in a statement issued on Monday through his media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, described the development as an admission that the original allegations against the two former governors lacked credible evidence.
The state government had filed an application seeking the court’s permission to amend the original 20-count charge to four counts, dropping allegations bordering on armed robbery, culpable homicide and illegal possession of firearms.
Reacting to the development, Saraki accused Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s administration of using the case to damage the reputations of his predecessors and advance its political interests ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He alleged that the government abandoned the 18 charges after realising that its attempt to implicate him and Ahmed was unlikely to succeed.
“For fear of failure, the government has chosen to change gear and explore yet other baseless charges,” he said.
Saraki further described the amendment as evidence that the prosecution had no credible case against the former governors from the outset.
“The amendment to the charge sheet only reveals that there was no case against these gentlemen from the beginning and what the state government is indulging in is abuse of powers, a travesty of the justice system, and mockery of the prosecutorial powers of the state,” he added.
The former Senate President also questioned the government’s decision to spend close to N100 million on newspaper advertisements publicising the allegations against him and Ahmed earlier in the year.
He argued that the money could have been channelled towards public projects rather than pursuing what he described as unfounded allegations.
Saraki also alleged that the criminal proceedings were politically motivated, noting that the amended charges were filed while he was visiting Offa and other communities in Kwara South to campaign for Peoples Democratic Party candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
Despite the withdrawal of the 18 counts, the state government retained two allegations relating to conspiracy to belong to a gang of thieves and belonging to a gang of thieves. Two additional counts were introduced over the alleged concealment or disappearance of a Lexus RX Jeep bearing the inscription ‘SARAKI’ as its registration number.
The prosecution alleged that the vehicle was used for an illegal purpose during the robbery and that the defendants were involved in concealing it.
The other defendants in the case are Yusuf Abdulwahab, a former Chief of Staff to Ahmed, and Alabi Olalekan, another former aide to the ex-governor.
Saraki, however, maintained that he would challenge the remaining allegations in court, expressing confidence that they would not withstand judicial scrutiny.
The 2018 Offa robbery occurred on April 5, when armed men attacked several banks and a police station in Offa, Kwara State, leaving 33 people dead, including 12 police officers.
Five suspects were convicted in September 2024 for offences including armed robbery, culpable homicide and illegal possession of firearms. The Court of Appeal upheld their convictions and sentences in January 2026.
Saraki and Ahmed have consistently denied any involvement in the robbery.
