The Kwara State chapters of the All Progressives Congress and Peoples Democratic Party have engaged in a war of words over allegations linking former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, to the 2018 Offa robbery, despite earlier legal advice clearing him.
The renewed political clash follows fresh criminal charges filed by the Kwara State Government against Dr Saraki and former governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, over the 5 April 2018 Offa bank robbery.
The government filed a 20-count charge before the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin, accusing the defendants of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide in connection with the incident that claimed over 30 lives.
They are expected to be arraigned before Justice Haleemah Salman on 4 June.
APC position
Speaking in Ilorin, the APC State Publicity Secretary, Abdulwaheed Babatunde, alleged that testimonies during investigations linked Dr Saraki to members of the robbery gang.
“Neither Saraki nor the PDP needs to lose sleep if their hands are clean. But they must come to terms with the fact that courts deal with evidence and facts, not dramatic press statements,” Mr Babatunde said.
He added, “Senator Saraki’s denial of any link with the convicted offenders is not only laughable but also characteristically deceptive, given the volume of evidence already in the public domain.”
Mr Babatunde insisted the matter should be left for the courts to decide, stressing that “no one is above the law.”
“It is a sacred and lawful duty of the state government to pursue justice in this matter. The court will determine guilt or innocence,” he said.
PDP rebuttal
In response, the PDP dismissed the allegations as politically motivated and baseless, insisting that Dr Saraki had already been cleared by relevant authorities.
In a statement by its State Publicity Secretary, Mr Olusegun Adewara, the party described the claims as “watery and pedestrian.”
“It is instructive to remind the public that on two separate occasions, the Director of Public Prosecution in the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation… not only absolved Dr Saraki of all allegations but explicitly stated that there was no link—direct or indirect—between him and the crime,” the statement read.
The PDP also questioned the timing of the renewed charges.
“If this matter is genuinely about justice, why was this so-called trial not initiated alongside the original prosecution of the convicted offenders?” the party queried.
It further alleged that earlier confessional statements implicating Dr Saraki were obtained under duress.
Legal background
Two legal opinions issued in 2018 by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation under Mr Abubakar Malami concluded that there was no evidence linking Dr Saraki to the robbery.
The advice, signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Mohammed U.E., stated that no prima facie case had been established against him.
Meanwhile, five suspects were convicted and sentenced to death by the Kwara State High Court in September 2024, a verdict upheld by the Court of Appeal in January 2026. The case is currently pending before the Supreme Court.
Diverging views
Legal experts have expressed mixed reactions to the fresh charges.
An Ilorin-based lawyer, Mr Musa Andulraheem, said new evidence could justify reopening the case.
“Although the office of the Attorney General had cleared Saraki in 2018, if there are new facts, new charges can be filed,” he said.
However, another legal practitioner, Mr Saheed Imama, warned that the move could be perceived as politically motivated, especially ahead of the 2027 elections.
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