Former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and former Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatai Ahmed, are set to face trial on June 4, 2026, over fresh 20-count charges filed by the Kwara State Government. The charges, which include culpable homicide and criminal conspiracy, stem from the April 2018 Offa armed robbery incident that claimed 32 lives, including nine police officers. Also named as defendants in the case before Justice Haleemah Salman of the Kwara State High Court are Yusuf Abdulwahab, former Chief of Staff to ex-Governor Ahmed, and Alabi Olalekan, a former political aide. The charge, dated April 9, 2026, was filed by the state’s Attorney-General, Ibrahim Sulyman, SAN, and is scheduled to be served on the defendants on April 17, 2026. The trial is registered under charge number LWS/114C/26.

Dr. Saraki has vehemently described these fresh charges as a “frivolous move” and an “abuse of court process,” asserting his absolute lack of any direct or indirect link to the Offa robbery incident or any criminal matter. He stated that he would have ordinarily ignored the development but felt compelled to respond due to widespread public concern. Saraki alleged that the case is politically motivated, claiming it was “designed under the Buhari administration with the connivance of some individuals from Kwara State as an instrument of blackmail to seize political power from our group in 2019.”

The former Senate President further referenced earlier investigations conducted by the police and legal opinions issued by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF). He highlighted that the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in the Office of the AGF, in two separate legal advices dated June 22, 2018, and August 23, 2018, stated there was no evidence directly or indirectly linking him to the robbery. Specifically, the DPP’s first legal advice stated: “For the Senate President and the Kwara State Governor, this office is unable to establish from the evidence in the interim report a nexus between the alleged offence and the suspects.” The second advisory reiterated that “this office is still unable to establish any prima facie case against him for any offences of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and culpable homicide.” Saraki noted that based on these findings, suspects were prosecuted by the Kwara State Government and convicted, with the judgment upheld on appeal and the matter now before the Supreme Court.

Conversely, prosecutors allege that the defendants conspired to sponsor and arm individuals involved in the deadly robbery. Central to the government’s case are confessional statements reportedly made by Ayo Akinnibosun, one of the convicted principal suspects. Akinnibosun, who described himself as a “hitman” operating within a political network allegedly tied to the accused, claimed he received two AK-47 rifles from Yusuf Abdulwahab ahead of a political congress, along with a Toyota Lexus SUV bearing Saraki’s number plate and cash described as “empowerment funds.” The state further alleges that the armed group was tied to operations connected to the political networks of both Saraki and Ahmed. Claims also cite that some of the convicted suspects accompanied Saraki during a condolence visit to Offa shortly after the robbery, and reference the recovery of vehicles and other exhibits allegedly traced to Kwara State government facilities at the time.

The Offa robbery, which occurred in April 2018, targeted five banks in Offa Local Government Area, Kwara State, resulting in at least 32 fatalities. On January 30, the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Judicial Division, upheld the death sentences of the five individuals convicted over the robbery: Akinnibosun, Azeez Salahudeen, Niyi Ogundiran, Ibikunle Ogunleye, and Adeola Abraham. The sixth suspect, Michael Adikwu, a retired police officer, died in custody before the trial began. Justice Haleemah Salman, who initially handed down the death sentences, stated that the convicts “acted contrary to the law and allowed their connections with those in power at the time to lead them astray.” Investigators recalled that vehicles and exhibits linked to the crime scenes were recovered from the Kwara State Government House and a government ministry in 2018, and were later tendered as evidence leading to the conviction of the main suspects.

Saraki also accused the state governor of reviving the case for political reasons, specifically following his recent public comments on insecurity in Kwara State during a Channels TV interview. He claimed the governor attempted to publish the charges as paid newspaper advertisements before formally serving defendants, alleging that key documents, particularly the DPP reports, were intentionally hidden to mislead the media. Saraki criticized the governor’s focus on the case, arguing that it detracts from crucial governance and security challenges, pointing out that Kwara had lost over 400 lives to banditry and seen over 100 kidnappings between January 2025 and March 2026. He called the governor’s actions “dirty politics taken too far and too low” and a “mockery of the institution.”

Both Dr. Saraki and former Governor Abdulfatai Ahmed have consistently denied any involvement, dismissing the allegations as baseless and a “witch-hunt” aimed at tarnishing reputations. Saraki, however, reaffirmed his unflinching belief and confidence in the judiciary, stating that his legal team has been fully briefed and he is confident the case against him will “collapse like a pack of cards.” The high-profile trial is expected to draw significant national attention, given the stature of the defendants and the gravity of the Offa robbery case.