From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
Eight years after the bloody April 2018 Offa bank robbery that shook Kwara State and claimed dozens of lives, the tragedy is back at the centre of a fierce legal and political storm, with former Senate President Bukola Saraki and ex-governor Abdulfatai Ahmed set to face trial over alleged links to the convicted perpetrators.
The Kwara State Government, has filed a 20-count charge bordering on culpable homicide, criminal conspiracy and related offences against Saraki, Ahmed, former Chief of Staff, Yusuf Abdulwahab and ex-aide Alabi Olalekan. The defendants are expected to be arraigned on June 4 before Justice Haleemah Salman, at the State High Court in Ilorin.
At the heart of the renewed case are court documents and confessional statements by Ayo Akinnibosun, a key figure among those already convicted for the robbery, whose testimony is now forming a critical pillar of the prosecution’s argument.
In his statement tendered before the court, Akinnibosun, alleged direct links between himself and the political establishment at the time, claiming he operated as a political enforcer.
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“I head a group of political thugs working for Senator Bukola Saraki and the Governor of Kwara State, Fatai Ahmed,” he stated, adding that he received financial support and vehicles to coordinate his activities.
He further alleged that two AK-47 rifles found in his possession were supplied through official channels. “The two AK47 rifles in my possession were given to me by the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Kwara State two days to the congress election,” he said.
Akinnibosun also claimed that he and members of his group maintained access to the Government House, where, according to earlier investigations, some vehicles later linked to the robbery were reportedly recovered.
Beyond the weapons allegations, the convicted robber told the court that he and other gang members accompanied Saraki on a condolence visit to Offa shortly after the attack, describing how he was mobilised for the trip.
“I was called to join the condolence visit… I then drove my Lexus Jeep to pick others so we could go together,” he said.
In a twist that adds complexity to the unfolding case, Abdulwahab, the former Chief of Staff, reportedly acknowledged in his own statement that vehicles, including a Lexus Jeep, were given to Akinnibosun and similar groups as part of what he described as empowerment efforts by the government at the time.
He admitted that such individuals visited the Government House occasionally, a claim that prosecutors are expected to rely on in establishing alleged institutional links.
The state government’s case follows the Court of Appeal’s affirmation of the convictions of the principal offenders in the Offa robbery, a development that appears to have reopened scrutiny on possible sponsors behind the attack.
However, Saraki has strongly rejected the allegations, describing the charges as politically motivated and an attempt to tarnish his image.
“I have nothing to do directly or indirectly with any case of armed robbery or any criminal matter whatsoever,” he said, insisting that previous investigations found no basis to link him to the crime.
Citing earlier legal opinions, Saraki noted that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions had concluded there was no prima facie case against him.
“For the Senate President… this office is unable to establish… a nexus between the alleged offence and the suspects,” he quoted from the advisory.
He further argued that the revival of the case was suspicious, linking it to his recent criticism of governance and insecurity in the state.
“Suddenly, the governor woke up… and thought he could resurrect these baseless charges,” he said, describing the move as “a desperate ploy by a drowning politician.”
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Kwara has also waded into the controversy, accusing the state government of politicising a painful incident that left lasting trauma in Offa.
But for many residents, the case goes beyond politics. The Offa robbery remains one of the deadliest in Nigeria’s recent history, with security personnel and civilians among the victims, and the memory of the attack still lingers in the community.
As the June 4 arraignment date approaches, attention is shifting back to the courtroom, where the state will attempt to prove that the chain of events leading to the tragedy extended beyond the convicted gunmen, while the defence is expected to challenge both the credibility and motive behind the renewed prosecution.
The trial is set to test not only the strength of the evidence but also the resilience of Nigeria’s justice system in handling one of its most controversial and politically sensitive criminal cases.
