During the 2018 Offa bank robbery, former Senate President Bukola Saraki and former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed were falsely charged by the Kwara State Government.
After the government dropped 18 of the 20 charges against the two ex-governors, Saraki made the accusation.
The former Senate President characterised the development as an acknowledgement that the accusations against them were unfounded, according to a statement signed by Yusuph Olaniyonu of the Abubakar Bukola Saraki Media Office.
An assortment of accusations, including armed robbery, culpable homicide involving police officers, and unlawful possession of firearms, were reduced or dropped.
However, two charges involving claimed gang participation and conspiracy to join the group remained with the state government. Another accusation included the loss or concealment of a car that was reportedly utilised for illicit activity.
In response to the news, Saraki’s press office said that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s government had abused its prosecutorial authority by trying to bring shame on his predecessors through the case.
“The government saw through the futility of the attempts to rope in Saraki and Ahmed and the fact that the charges lack any credible or factual basis,” the statement stated, adding that 16 additional charges with similarly absurd claims were also dropped.
It went on to say that the charges were never credible because of the charge sheet alteration.
Publicising the accusations against the former governors earlier this year allegedly cost the state government over N100 million, according to Saraki’s media office.
It claimed that the funds could have been better used for public projects instead of what it called unfounded claims.
In addition, the statement claimed that Governor AbdulRazaq was trying to influence the case in the run-up to the 2027 election.
The former Senate President will battle the remaining accusations in court, according to Saraki’s media office, even though the 18 counts were withdrawn.
On April 5, 2018, in Offa, Kwara State, a number of individuals were murdered in a coordinated assault on multiple commercial banks and security personnel.
In April 2026, the Kwara State Government brought twenty counts of charges against Ahmed, Saraki, and two other individuals.
The lawsuit has not yet gone to trial after encountering multiple preliminary legal challenges.