Kwara govt to Saraki: DPP advice on Offa robbery not exoneration — defend yourself in court

The Kwara state government says it would be abdicating its duties if it ignores the evidence linking Bukola Saraki to the Offa robbery incident of 2018.

The government was reacting to recent comments by Saraki, former senate president, who had described the criminal charge against him as a witch-hunt intended to “embarrass my person”.

On April 17, the Kwara state government filed a 20-count charge against Saraki and Abdulfatah Ahmed, former governor of the state, over allegations of arming suspects convicted of robbery in Offa.

Other defendants in the case are Yusuf Abdulwahab, a former chief of staff to Ahmed, and Alabi Olalekan, another aide.

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ROBBERY INCIDENT AND CONVICTIONS

Multiple banks were raided on April 5, 2018, and a police station was attacked in Offa, a town in Kwara state, resulting in 33 fatalities that included 12 police officers.

In September 2024, a high court in Kwara found the five defendants — Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salahudeen Azeez and Niyi Ogundiran — guilty of illegal possession of firearms, armed robbery, and culpable homicide.

The defendants were sentenced to death.

In January, the court of appeal upheld the conviction and sentence of the five convicts.

THE ‘SARAKI LINK’

Hours after the robbery incident, the police invited Saraki and alleged that Akinnibosun, the alleged kingpin, claimed that the gang members were Saraki’s political thugs.

The police also alleged that Akinnibosun claimed that he received vehicles and monetary gifts from Saraki through Abdulwahab.

Speaking during the parade of suspects, Akinnibosun told journalists that his group had been working for Saraki since he was governor.

The suspected kingpin also told journalists that Saraki was not aware of their involvement in the armed robbery.

Akinnibosun, however, made a turnaround during a court hearing in March 2019, where he alleged that Abba Kyari, then deputy commissioner of police, asked him and the other accused persons to implicate Saraki.

He claimed that he was threatened to make confessional statements.

Saraki has since denied any form of connection to the armed robbery suspects.

SARAKI’S RESPONSE

In his reaction to the criminal charge filed against him by the state government, Saraki said the robbery had been investigated by the police team from the office of the inspector-general of police.

Saraki added that two separate legal advices dated June 22nd, 2018, and August 23rd, 2018, from 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”.

“Based on the DPP’s advice, four suspects were charged in court by the Kwara State Government,” Saraki said in a statement issued last week. Thecable