Former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has strongly denied any involvement in the 2018 Offa armed robbery incident, describing recent attempts to reopen the case as a politically motivated move by Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
In a detailed statement, Saraki said that while his initial reaction was to dismiss the development and allow the matter to proceed in court, he was compelled to respond following widespread concern and inquiries from Nigerians.
He categorically stated that he had “nothing to do directly or indirectly” with the Offa robbery or any criminal activity, insisting that previous investigations had already cleared him of any wrongdoing.
According to Saraki, the case was thoroughly investigated by a police team under the Inspector General of Police, with the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation issuing two separate legal advisories in 2018, both concluding that there was no evidence linking him to the crime.
Quoting from the Director of Public Prosecution’s findings, Saraki noted that authorities were unable to establish any nexus between him and the alleged offences, and no prima facie case was found against him for charges including criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, and culpable homicide.
He further explained that based on the DPP’s advice, four suspects were prosecuted, convicted at trial, and had their convictions upheld on appeal, with the matter now pending before the Supreme Court.
Saraki accused Governor AbdulRazaq of attempting to “resurrect baseless charges” as retaliation for his recent criticism of insecurity in Kwara State during a television interview.
He alleged that the governor deliberately withheld key documents, including the DPP reports, while circulating what he described as “skewed” information in the media to mislead the public.
Describing the move as an abuse of court process, Saraki said his legal team was prepared to challenge the case in court. He also alleged that there had been attempts to encourage victims’ families to file civil suits against him, but these efforts did not succeed.
The former Senate President further criticized the governor’s handling of security in the state, claiming that hundreds of lives had been lost to banditry and kidnappings in recent times. He argued that the government should focus on addressing insecurity rather than pursuing what he termed politically motivated cases.
Saraki maintained confidence in the judiciary, expressing belief that justice would prevail. He concluded by asserting that the case against him would ultimately fail, describing it as a “frivolous” effort aimed at damaging his reputation.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kwara State Government had not issued an official response to Saraki’s claims.
