Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has accused the Kwara State Government of abusing its prosecutorial powers after it amended the criminal charges against him and former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed over the 2018 Offa bank robbery, withdrawing 18 of the original 20 counts.
Saraki’s reaction followed an alleged admission by Saheed Popoola, a former All Progressives Congress chieftain and the Peoples Democratic Party senatorial candidate for Kwara South, that he took part in a political campaign linking the former Senate president to the robbery in order to settle political scores.
Popoola’s Admission at the Olofa’s Palace
Popoola made the disclosure on Sunday, November 8, during Saraki’s visit to the palace of the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye II, as part of his political engagements in Kwara South.
He said some APC members deliberately revived and politicised the robbery allegations to undermine Saraki’s political influence in the state.
“I was a leading member of the APC then that started the politicisation and revival of the issue of Offa robbery just to get to Saraki. But after we finished and won, it was me that was being persecuted,” Popoola said.
He added that political actors used songs and slogans to associate Saraki with the incident during the Otoge Movement, which contributed to the defeat of Saraki’s political structure in the 2019 elections. Popoola said he regretted participating in the campaign, which he described as driven by political interests and misinformation rather than the facts surrounding the robbery.
Saraki Says Withdrawn Charges Lacked Credible Grounds
In a statement reported on Monday, November 9, Saraki, through his media office, said the Kwara State Government had dropped 18 of the original 20 counts, including allegations relating to armed robbery, culpable homicide and illegal possession of firearms.
He described the withdrawal of the 18 charges as evidence that the allegations against him and Ahmed lacked credible grounds.
The remaining charges reportedly concern conspiring to belong to a gang of thieves, membership of the alleged gang and offences relating to the concealment or disappearance of a vehicle allegedly used for unlawful activities.
Saraki’s media office accused Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s administration of abusing its prosecutorial powers and using the case to damage the reputations of his predecessors ahead of the 2027 general elections. It also alleged that the state government spent nearly N100 million on newspaper advertisements earlier in the year to publicise its allegations against the former governors.
The statement said Saraki’s lawyers would challenge the remaining charges in court.
How the Offa Robbery Unfolded
The Offa bank robbery occurred on April 5, 2018, when armed men launched coordinated attacks on commercial banks and security personnel in the community.
The attackers targeted branches of First Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, Ecobank, Zenith Bank and Union Bank, as well as Ibolo Microfinance Bank. At least 33 people, including 12 police officers and a pregnant woman, were killed in the attacks, making the incident one of the deadliest armed robbery operations in the country. The robbery triggered a major police investigation and the arrest of several suspects.
In May 2018, the police arrested five principal suspects: Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salahudeen Azeez and Niyi Ogundiran.
During the investigation, some of the suspects reportedly implicated Saraki and Ahmed, prompting the police to invite the two former governors for questioning in June 2018. They were asked to report to the Force Intelligence Response Team office in Guzape, Abuja, over allegations reportedly made by members of the gang.
One of the suspects, Akinnibosun, identified as the gang leader, reportedly told investigators that members of the gang were political thugs working for Saraki. He also alleged that he received money and vehicles through Yusuf Abdulwahab, a former Chief of Staff to Ahmed.
However, Akinnibosun reportedly said during the parade of suspects that Saraki was unaware of the gang’s involvement in the robbery. In March 2019, he reportedly told a court that Abba Kyari, the then Deputy Commissioner of Police, pressured him and other suspects to implicate Saraki, alleging that they were threatened into making confessional statements.
Saraki has consistently denied any connection with the robbery, describing the allegations as an attempt to implicate him.
Convictions and Sentencing
The criminal investigation led to the prosecution of the five principal suspects. In September 2024, a Kwara State High Court convicted the defendants of offences including armed robbery, culpable homicide and illegal possession of firearms, and sentenced them to death. The Court of Appeal subsequently upheld their convictions and sentences in January 2026.
The amended charge sheet now leaves Saraki and Ahmed facing a reduced set of counts, which their legal team intends to contest in court.
