A former federal lawmaker, Shehu Sani, has cautioned Kwara State government against the move to file criminal charges against former Senate president, Bukola Saraki over the deadly 2018 Offa robbery.
Sani reminded Governor Abdulrahaman Abdulrasaq that such a move could be counter-productive.
On April 5, 2018, several banks were subjected to raids, and a police station in Offa, located in Kwara state, was attacked, leading to 33 deaths, which included a pregnant woman and 12 police officers.
In September 2024, a High Court in Kwara convicted five defendants for illegal possession of firearms, armed robbery, and culpable homicide.
The individuals found guilty are Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salahudeen Azeez, and Niyi Ogundiran.
On Thursday, April 9, 2026, the state government initiated a 20-count charge against Saraki and a former governor of the state, Abdulfatah Ahmed, concerning allegations of providing arms to individuals convicted of robbery in Offa.
Additional defendants in the case include Yusuf Abdulwahab, who previously served as chief of staff to Ahmed, and Alabi Olalekan, another aide.
Saraki has characterized the government’s actions as a “desperate ploy by a drowning politician” and as “dirty politics taken too far and too low.”
And in reaction to this, Sani wrote on X, “I wish to appeal to the Governor of Kwara State my Friend and Brother, His Excellency Abdulrahaman Abdulrasaq to drop the idea of filling a Criminal Charge against Senator Bukola Saraki and others over the 2018 Offa Robbery Incident.
“In the past, I had the experience of being framed and dragged to 5 different High Courts in Kaduna, and slammed with Civil and Criminal Charges,and The Lord saved me.Power should be exercised with caution.Tomorrow is not far from today.”
