Kwara rewrites Offa robbery case, removes murder, armed robbery charges against Saraki

New charge shifts focus to alleged concealment of Lexus Jeep bearing ‘SARAKI’ inscription as former Senate President accuses state government of political persecution

The Kwara State Government has moved to replace its 20-count criminal charge against former Senate President Bukola Saraki and ex-governor Abdulfatah Ahmed with a four-count charge over the 2018 Offa robbery, dropping 18 allegations, including armed robbery, murder and illegal possession of firearms.

In an amended charge dated November 6, 2026, filed before the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin, the prosecution retained allegations of conspiracy to belong to a gang of thieves and belonging to a gang of thieves, while introducing two new counts concerning the alleged concealment of a Lexus RX Jeep bearing the inscription “SARAKI” as its plate number.

The application also targets Yusuf Abdulwahab, a former Chief of Staff to Ahmed, and Alabi Olalekan, another former aide to the ex-governor.

The prosecution is seeking the court’s permission to proceed with the amended charges, arguing that the defendants have not entered their pleas and the trial has yet to commence.

According to the application, the first two counts accuse the four defendants and five individuals already convicted over the robbery of conspiring to belong to, and belonging to, a gang of thieves on April 5, 2018, in Ilorin.

The five convicted individuals are Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawu Azeez and Niyi Ogundiran.

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The two additional counts allege that Saraki, Ahmed, Abdulwahab and Olalekan conspired to conceal or cause the disappearance of the Lexus Jeep, allegedly knowing or having reason to believe that it was used for an illegal purpose during the Offa robbery.

The offences are said to be punishable under Sections 97 and 167 of the Kwara State Penal Code, 2006.

The original 20-count charge, filed on April 9, 2026, contained allegations relating to armed robbery, the deaths of police officers and illegal possession of firearms. Those allegations have been removed from the proposed amended charge.

The prosecution told the court that an official briefing necessitated the amendment and argued that evidence already attached to the original charge could sustain the four proposed counts. It also maintained that the defendants would suffer no prejudice if the application was granted.

Reacting to the development, Saraki’s media office described the withdrawal of 18 counts as an admission that the original allegations against the former Senate President and Ahmed were unfounded.

In a statement signed by Yusuph Olaniyonu, the office accused the state government of abusing the judicial process and using the Offa robbery tragedy to discredit the former governors.

It also alleged that the prosecution was politically motivated and claimed the state government had spent close to N100 million publicising its original allegations through newspaper advertisements.

Saraki’s media office, however, said he would contest the remaining charges, describing the amendment as another attempt to persecute and blackmail the former Senate President.

The April 5, 2018, attacks on banks and a police station in Offa left 33 people dead, including 12 police officers and a pregnant woman.

In September 2024, a Kwara State High Court convicted five defendants over the robbery, including Akinnibosun, identified as the gang leader. The Court of Appeal upheld their convictions and sentences in January.

Following the robbery, police invited Saraki after Akinnibosun allegedly claimed that members of the gang were his political thugs and that he received vehicles and money through Abdulwahab. Saraki has consistently denied any connection with the robbery.

During a 2019 court hearing, Akinnibosun alleged that Abba Kyari, then a Deputy Commissioner of Police, pressured him and other suspects to implicate Saraki and threatened them into making confessional statements. These allegations were also disputed.

Saraki governed Kwara State from 2003 to 2011 and served as Senate President between 2015 and 2019. Ahmed succeeded him as governor and held office from 2011 to 2019.

The court’s decision on the prosecution’s application will determine whether the case proceeds on the proposed four-count charge. The allegations against the former governors remain unproven, and the court has yet to determine their guilt.