Breaking: Former Senate President, Ex-Gov Face Criminal Charges as Details Emerge
- Kwara State Government filed a 20-count charge against former Senate President Bukola Saraki and ex-Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed over alleged links to Offa robbery convicts
- Prosecutors accused Saraki, Ahmed and two former aides of conspiracy and armed robbery in connection with the 2018 Offa attacks
- Bukola Saraki denied any involvement as fresh legal proceedings began in a case linked to one of Nigeria’s deadliest robbery incidents
The Kwara State Government has filed a 20-count charge against former Senate President Bukola Saraki and ex-governor Abdulfatah Ahmed over alleged links to suspects convicted in the 2018 Offa robbery attacks.
The charges, which also name two former aides, were lodged before the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin on April 9, 2026.
Source: Twitter
Charges allege conspiracy and armed robbery
According to the charge sheet, the defendants were accused of conspiring with individuals already convicted for their roles in the Offa bank robberies.
“That you OLUBUKOLA ABUBAKAR SARAKI, ABDULFATAH AHMED, YUSUF ABDULWAHAB, ALABI OLALEKAN, AYOADE AKINNIBOSUN (now a convict), IBIKUNLE OGUNLEYE (now a convict), ADEOLA ABRAHAM (now a convict), SALAWU AZEEZ (now a convict) and NIYI OGUNDIRAN (now a convict)… conspired among yourselves to do an illegal act to wit; committed armed robbery… and you thereby committed an offence,” part of the charge read.
A separate count further alleged that the accused persons participated in armed attacks on bank facilities in Offa.
“That you… while armed with guns and explosives robbed the staff and premises of Zenith Bank Plc Offa branch… and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1(2) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act,” the document added.
Offa robbery remains one of Nigeria’s deadliest attacks
The charges are linked to the April 5, 2018 attacks in Offa, Kwara /m,, where multiple banks and a police station were targeted.
The incident resulted in the deaths of 33 people, including security personnel and civilians.
In 2024, a Kwara State High Court convicted five individuals — Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salahudeen Azeez and Niyi Ogundiran — on charges including armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms, and culpable h0micide. Their convictions were upheld by the Court of Appeal in January.
Allegations and counterclaims surfaced
Following the robbery, law enforcement authorities alleged that the gang leader, Akinnibosun, had claimed links to Saraki, including receiving vehicles and financial support through intermediaries.
During a public parade, Akinnibosun reportedly stated that his group had worked for Saraki during his time as governor, but also noted that the former governor was not aware of the robbery operations.
In a later court appearance in 2019, the gang leader alleged that he was pressured by a senior police officer to implicate Saraki, claiming he was threatened into making certain statements.
Saraki denies involvement
Bukola Saraki has consistently denied any connection to the robbery suspects or the crimes in question.
The latest charges mark a fresh legal development in a case that has remained a subject of national attention since the 2018 attacks.
Both Saraki and Ahmed served in top political positions in Kwara State, with Saraki as governor from 2003 to 2011 and Senate President from 2015 to 2019, while Ahmed governed the state between 2011 and 2019.
The court is expected to set a date for further proceedings in the matter.
Source: Legit.ng
