Saraki to Abdulrazaq: Robbery allegations against your predecessors demean gov’s office

Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has accused Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, of ridiculing the office of the governor by linking him and another former leader of the state to the 2018 Offa robbery incident.

Saraki said the move to reopen the case and initiate criminal proceedings against former office holders was politically motivated and aimed at tarnishing his reputation.

Reacting in a statement on Friday, the former Senate President said although he would ordinarily ignore the allegation and face the matter in court, public concern had compelled him to respond.

He denied any involvement in the robbery incident, insisting that previous investigations had cleared him of any wrongdoing.

“Ordinarily, my attitude to this insidious move by the incumbent Governor of Kwara State to initiate a case of criminal liability against me in the unfortunate incident of armed robbery which happened in Offa community eight years ago should be to shrug it off and say that we will meet in court since I know I have nothing to do with the incident or any other crime for that matter. 

“However, I have been inundated with calls from many well-meaning Nigerians who were surprised by this turn of events. Thus, for the benefit of the general public, let me categorically state that I have nothing to do directly or indirectly with any case of armed robbery or any criminal matter, whatsoever. The Offa robbery incident was designed under the Buhari administration with the connivance of some individuals from Kwara State as an instrument of blackmail to seize political power from our group in 2019.”

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Saraki said legal advice issued in 2018 by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation found no evidence linking him to the crime.

“The case was investigated by the police team from the office of the Inspector General of Police. However, following the investigation, in two separate legal advices dated June 22nd, 2018, and August 23rd, 2018, 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.

“The DPP in his first legal advice stated that “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”. In a second report, the DPP stated that “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”.

He added that the same position was maintained in a subsequent report, which also found no prima facie case against him on charges including criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, and culpable homicide.

According to him, based on the DPP’s advice, only four suspects were prosecuted by the Kwara State Government, leading to their conviction at the trial court, which was later upheld on appeal. 

“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 is now before the Supreme Court.”

Saraki accused the governor of attempting to revive what he described as “baseless charges” following his recent criticism of the state government’s handling of insecurity.

He further alleged that the state government deliberately withheld key documents, including the DPP reports, while circulating the allegations in the media.

“Suddenly, the governor woke up after I granted my interview to Channels TV where I commented on the insecurity in the state and thought he could resurrect these baseless charges against his two predecessors. I noticed that in his propaganda plan to circulate his frivolous charges and other skewed documents as paid advertisements in the national newspapers, even before serving the defendants, he intentionally hid the DPP reports and other documents which put a lie to the charade he is perpetuating. These are deliberate efforts to mislead the media and induce them to give purchased publicity to the frame-up.”

Saraki described the development as an abuse of the court process and said his legal team would challenge the case.

“Therefore, I am under no illusion that this case was a frivolous move and an abuse of court process to embarrass my person. My legal team will definitely meet this governor in court. I believe that Abdulrahman just feels that he could still use this case to harass and defame my person by abusing the judicial process. He had tried to induce the families of the victims to initiate civil litigations against the other respondents and me, but he seemed not to be making progress with that mischievous effort because the families backed out.

“I need to remind him that this vicious attack on my reputation because he enjoys the immunity of a governor is a huge joke on him. A sitting governor who is 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. This is an example of dirty politics taken too far and too low. He ought to know that nobody at the national or state level is buying his claim. He is the butt of a crude joke. Many of those involved in the plot to blackmail me with the Offa robbery case have since faced the judgments of the law of karma. I do not doubt that this governor will end up the same way.”

The former Senate President also criticised Abdulrazaq for allegedly focusing on political disputes instead of addressing insecurity in the state, claiming that hundreds of lives had been lost to banditry in recent times.

“One would have thought that a governor whose state has lost over 400 lives to banditry between January 2025 and March 2026, with over 100 others kidnapped in the worst cases of insecurity since its creation, would concentrate efforts and focus attention on taming the menace by getting the bandits arrested to face justice. No. He is fixated on filing frivolous and politically motivated charges against his predecessors. 

“This shows the dark mindset of the man who is the governor of Kwara State today. A man who emphasises dirty politics over development and security of lives and properties of the citizenry. He started working on this plot immediately after my interview on Channels TV where I flayed his lack of capacity in tackling the security crisis in the state. He thought this case would erase his record as the governor with the worst cases of insecurity under his watch in the state’s history. It is an unenviable record he has sustained by his lack of capacity and ability to tackle serious issues of the state.”

Saraki also expressed confidence in the judiciary, stating that the courts would ultimately dismiss the case.

“Let me however reiterate my unflinching belief and confidence in the ability of the judiciary to give justice at all times and to all categories of persons, no matter who their accusers are and whatever the motivation is. I believe the judiciary will always sort out the chaff from the wheat in the various cases before it. My legal team have been fully briefed and I know this case against me will collapse like a pack of cards.”