The Government has said former Senate President must defend himself in court over allegations linking him to the 2018 Offa robbery incident, insisting that legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecution did not amount to an exoneration.
The government said it would be neglecting its responsibility if it ignored evidence allegedly connecting Saraki to the robbery attack that claimed 33 lives, including 12 police officers, in on April 5, 2018.
The state government was reacting to Saraki’s recent claim that the criminal charges filed against him were politically motivated and intended to embarrass him.
On April 17, the state government filed a 20-count charge against Saraki; former governor ; Yusuf Abdulwahab, a former chief of staff; and Alabi Olalekan over allegations bordering on arming suspects later convicted for the Offa robbery attack.
In September 2024, a high court in Kwara convicted five defendants over the robbery, sentencing them to death for armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms, and culpable homicide. The convictions were later upheld by the court of appeal in January 2026.
Following the robbery incident in 2018, the police alleged that Ayoade Akinnibosun, identified as the gang leader, claimed the robbery suspects were political thugs linked to Saraki. The suspect later denied implicating the former senate president voluntarily, alleging during court proceedings that he was pressured by police officers to do so.
Saraki has consistently denied having any connection with the robbery suspects. He also argued that legal advice issued in 2018 by the Director of Public Prosecution in the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation found no evidence linking him to the incident.
However, the Kwara State Government maintained that the DPP’s advice did not amount to a judicial clearance and insisted that the matter should be resolved through due legal process in court.
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