Offa Robbery: Saraki Says Charges Against Him Frivolous, Abuse of Court Process

Eshioromeh Sebastian

Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has described the fresh criminal case filed against him by the Kwara State Government over the 2018 Offa armed robbery incident as frivolous and an abuse of court process.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Saraki reacted to what he called an “insidious move” by incumbent Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to initiate a case of criminal liability against him and other former leaders of the state.

The former Senate President said his normal attitude would have been to shrug it off and wait to meet the governor in court. However, he said he decided to speak out because many well-meaning Nigerians had called him, surprised by the turn of events.

Saraki stated categorically that he has nothing to do, directly or indirectly, with any case of armed robbery or any criminal matter whatsoever.

He recalled that the Offa robbery incident was originally investigated by a police team from the office of the Inspector General of Police. Following that investigation, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation issued two separate legal advices on June 22, 2018, and August 23, 2018.

Quoting from the first DPP advice, Saraki said: “For the Senate President and the Kwara State Governor, this office is unable to establish from the evidence in the interim report a nexus between the alleged offence and the suspects.”

The second report, he added, stated: “With regards to the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, since there is no departure from the earlier findings in the interim report, this office is still unable to establish any prima facie case against him for any offences of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and culpable homicide.”

Saraki further noted that based on the DPP’s advice, four suspects were charged in court by the Kwara State Government. They were convicted at the trial court, and the conviction was upheld by the appellate court. The matter, he said, is now before the Supreme Court.

He argued that since the suspects have already been prosecuted and convicted, reviving charges against him makes no legal sense.

The former Senate President accused Governor Abdulrazaq of deliberately hiding the DPP reports and other documents that clear him. He said the governor, even before serving the defendants, began circulating frivolous charges and skewed documents as paid advertisements in national newspapers.

“These are deliberate efforts to mislead the media and induce them to give purchased publicity to the frame-up,” Saraki said.

Saraki revealed that the governor suddenly revived the case after he granted an interview to Channels TV, during which he commented on the insecurity situation in Kwara State.

He claimed the governor thought he could use the case to erase his record as the governor with the worst cases of insecurity in the state’s history.

According to him, Kwara lost over 400 lives to banditry between January 2025 and March 2026, with over 100 others kidnapped.

“One would have thought that a governor whose state has lost over 400 lives to banditry… would concentrate efforts on taming the menace,” Saraki said. “No. He is fixated on filing frivolous and politically motivated charges against his predecessors.”

Saraki also alleged that the governor had previously tried to induce the families of the Offa robbery victims to initiate civil litigation against him and the other respondents. He said that mischievous effort failed because the families backed out.

The former Senate President expressed confidence in the judiciary, saying he believes the court will sort out the chaff from the wheat.

“My legal team have been fully briefed, and I know this case against me will collapse like a pack of cards,” he said.

He also took a swipe at the governor’s educational background, saying: “For a man who never completed secondary school education, it is difficult for him to appreciate the issues involved in any matter. His level of education is definitely affecting his judgment.”

Saraki warned that a sitting governor accusing his two immediate predecessors of armed robbery is only making a mockery of the institution. “He is only taking the governorship of our dear state to the gutter,” he added.

He concluded that many of those involved in the original plot to blackmail him with the Offa robbery case have since faced the judgment of karma, adding: “I do not doubt that this governor will end up the same way.”