Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has criticised the Kwara State Government over its decision to withdraw 18 charges from the 20-count criminal case filed against him and former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed in connection with the 2018 Offa bank robbery.
Saraki, through a statement issued on Monday by his media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, accused the state government of abusing its prosecutorial powers and using the judicial process to damage the reputations of the two former governors.
The statement described the withdrawal of the charges as evidence of what it called the weakness of the original allegations, insisting that the remaining charges would also fail in court.
The Kwara State Government had filed an application seeking the court’s permission to amend the original 20-count charge against Saraki, Ahmed and two former aides, Yusuf Abdulwahab and Alabi Olalekan.
Under the proposed amended charge, the prosecution dropped allegations bordering on armed robbery, culpable homicide involving the deaths of police officers and illegal possession of firearms.
However, the government retained allegations relating to conspiracy to belong to a gang of thieves and membership of the group. It also introduced allegations concerning the concealment or disappearance of a Lexus RX Jeep bearing the inscription SARAKI.
Reacting to the development, Saraki’s media office said the decision to withdraw the 18 charges confirmed its position that the allegations against the former governors were not supported by sufficient evidence.
It also questioned the government’s decision to initiate the criminal proceedings, alleging that the case was politically motivated and intended to embarrass Saraki and Ahmed.
The former Senate President’s media office further alleged that the Kwara State Government had spent close to N100m publicising its allegations against the former governors through advertisements in national newspapers.
It described the alleged expenditure as a waste of public resources, arguing that the money could have been channelled into development projects and other public needs.
The statement also linked the prosecution to political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections, claiming that the charges were designed to discredit the former governors.
Saraki, however, maintained that he was prepared to challenge the remaining allegations through the judicial process.
The case is connected to the April 5, 2018, armed robbery attacks on several commercial banks in Offa, Kwara State, during which 33 people, including 12 police officers, were killed.
Five defendants were convicted in September 2024 over their involvement in the robbery, with the Court of Appeal subsequently upholding their convictions and sentences.
Saraki and Ahmed have consistently denied any involvement in the incident.
Meanwhile, the prosecution has asked the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin to approve the amended four-count charge against the defendants.
The latest development has renewed attention on the long-running legal dispute, with the court expected to determine the application and subsequent proceedings in the case.
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