The Kwara State Government has dropped 18 of the 20 charges initially brought against former Senate President Bukola Saraki and former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed over the deadly 2018 Offa bank robbery, in a dramatic development that has reignited controversy over the political circumstances surrounding the case. The development coincides with an admission by a former APC chieftain that Saraki was linked to the robbery allegations to settle political scores.
The legal battle surrounding the April 2018 Offa bank robbery has taken a fresh turn following the decision of the Kwara State Government to withdraw 18 of the 20 charges filed against former Senate President Bukola Saraki and former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.
The development has prompted a strong reaction from Saraki, who accused Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s administration of abusing its prosecutorial powers and using the criminal justice system to pursue political interests.
In a statement issued on Monday, November 9, 2026, and signed by his media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki described the amendment of the charges as evidence that the original prosecution lacked credible factual foundations.
The development has also assumed greater political significance following an admission by Saheed Popoola, a former member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, that he played a leading role in linking Saraki to the Offa robbery allegations as part of the political struggle to dislodge the Saraki political dynasty in the state.
Popoola, who is now the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for Kwara South, reportedly made the admission during Saraki’s visit to the palace of the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye II, on Sunday.
“We pinned the Offa robbery on Saraki to settle political scores,” Popoola declared.
He expressed regret over his participation in the political campaign against the former Senate president during the 2019 general elections, saying he had been misinformed during the struggle that brought the APC to power in Kwara.
“I regret fighting Saraki because I was misinformed during the ‘Otoge’ struggle,” he said.
The admission has added another dimension to the controversy surrounding the prosecution, although Popoola’s political statement does not, by itself, establish the innocence or guilt of any of the defendants.
Kwara reduces 20-count charge to four
The amended charge sheet, marked KWS/114C/2026, was signed by the Kwara State Attorney-General, Ibrahim Sulyman (SAN).
Under the revised charges, the government has retained two allegations from the original case while introducing two additional counts, bringing the total number of charges against the four defendants to four.
The defendants are Saraki, Ahmed, Yusuf Abdulwahab, a former Chief of Staff to Ahmed, and Alabi Olalekan, another former aide to the immediate past governor.
The first two counts accuse the defendants of conspiring to belong to a gang of thieves and belonging to a gang of thieves.
The remaining two counts concern the alleged concealment and disappearance of a vehicle said to have been used for an unlawful purpose.
A motion on notice seeking the court’s consideration of the amended charges was filed by the prosecution on November 6, 2026, alongside a supporting affidavit.
Significantly, the amendment removes all the previous allegations specifically relating to armed robbery in connection with the Offa attacks against the four defendants.
The original charge had included allegations of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed robbery, culpable homicide and illegal possession of firearms.
Reacting to the development, Saraki’s media office said the withdrawal of the 18 counts demonstrated that the government had recognised the weakness of its original allegations.
“Both charges and 16 others with such ridiculous claims were dropped obviously because the government saw through the futility of the attempts to rope in Saraki and Ahmed and the fact that the charges lack any credible or factual basis,” the statement said.
The former Senate president’s camp accused the Abdulrazaq administration of turning the prosecution into a political instrument intended to damage the reputations of its predecessors.
It also alleged that the state government had spent close to N100 million on newspaper advertisements relating to the case, describing the expenditure as an unnecessary use of public funds.
According to the statement, the amended charge sheet was filed while Saraki was visiting Offa and other communities in Kwara South as part of his political engagements ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Saraki’s media office maintained that the remaining charges would also fail under judicial scrutiny.
How the Offa robbery became entangled in Kwara politics
The latest controversy cannot be separated from the political upheaval that transformed Kwara State ahead of the 2019 general elections.
For nearly two decades, the Saraki political establishment had exercised considerable influence over the state’s political affairs, with the PDP controlling the government from 2003 until the APC’s electoral victory in 2019.
The opposition campaign that eventually dislodged the PDP was organised around the popular Otoge movement, a Yoruba expression meaning ‘enough is enough’.
The movement brought together several political interests opposed to the Saraki political dynasty and capitalised on public dissatisfaction with the prevailing political establishment.
Popoola said he supported the movement because he believed it would usher in better governance and development.
However, he later became disappointed with the outcome and accused political actors of using misinformation and politically motivated allegations against Saraki.
He said the Offa robbery allegations were repeatedly brought into political discussions to damage the former governor’s reputation.
His comments have reopened questions about the extent to which the tragedy was used in the political battle that preceded the 2019 elections.
Another prominent participant in the Otoge movement, Gbenga Awoyale, convener of Orisun Igbomina, also expressed regret over his role in the campaign.
Awoyale said he was among those who worked to bring the APC to power but had become disillusioned with the administration.
He declared his readiness to oppose the current government, arguing that his conscience would not permit him to remain silent over the direction of the state.
“Now, I and many others regret our actions and deeds. For the sake of my conscience, I must fight this government. God and the unborn generations will not forgive us all if we don’t rise against it,” he said.
Awoyale also raised concerns over insecurity, alleging that about 30 traditional rulers had abdicated their positions and approximately 25 communities had been deserted because of bandit attacks. Those figures represent his claims and have not been independently established in the available reports.
The robbery that shocked Nigeria
The criminal proceedings against Saraki and Ahmed stem from the April 5, 2018, coordinated attacks on commercial banks and a police station in Offa, Kwara State.
The armed assault, which involved several banks, including First Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, Ecobank, Zenith Bank and Union Bank, resulted in the deaths of 33 people, including 12 police officers and a pregnant woman.
The incident became one of the most shocking bank robbery attacks in Nigeria’s recent history.
Investigations subsequently led to the arrest of several suspects, some of whom allegedly implicated influential political figures during police interrogations.
Saraki consistently denied any involvement in the robbery, describing attempts to connect him to the crime as politically motivated.
He also maintained that legal opinions issued by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation in June and August 2018 found no evidence linking him to the incident.
In September 2024, five men — Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunnle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salahudeen Azeez and Niyi Ogundiran — were convicted by a Kwara State High Court for their roles in the robbery and sentenced to death.
The convictions were subsequently upheld by the Court of Appeal in Ilorin on January 30, 2026.
The prosecution’s case against the five convicts was separate from the subsequent proceedings instituted against Saraki, Ahmed and their two former aides.
In April 2026, the Kwara State Government filed a fresh 20-count charge against the former governors and the two aides, alleging their involvement in the events surrounding the robbery.
The fresh prosecution revived a controversy that had remained politically sensitive since the incident.
Legal battle delays arraignment
Despite the filing of the original charges in April 2026, the case has yet to proceed to substantive trial because of preliminary legal disputes before the Kwara State High Court and the Court of Appeal.
At the November 5 sitting, Justice Osuolale Ajayi reserved his ruling on whether the arraignment could proceed while an application for a stay of proceedings remained pending before the appellate court.
Earlier, on November 3, the Court of Appeal had advised counsel to Ahmed, J. A. Mumini (SAN), to file a formal application seeking an order directing the parties at the trial court to maintain the status quo.
The appellate court adjourned the matter to November 12, 2026.
The latest amendment to the charge sheet therefore comes at a time when the substantive criminal proceedings have yet to begin.
The four remaining allegations are yet to be determined by the court, and the defendants have not been convicted of the offences.
Saraki returns to Offa, appeals for political support
Interestingly, Saraki’s latest reaction followed his visit to Offa, where he met with the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye II, as part of his political engagements in Kwara South.
During the visit, Saraki recalled his involvement in the monarch’s selection and enthronement in 2010, saying he had supported his emergence despite opposition and petitions from some quarters.
He urged the traditional ruler to encourage residents to support the PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“I slept in Offa to see you today because of my respect for you. Let us here and beyond know that I am not a visitor here in Offa, particularly in this palace,” he said.
Saraki also promised that a PDP administration would prioritise the development of the town.
As part of his visit, he donated N50 million towards addressing Offa’s longstanding electricity challenges.
In his response, the Olofa urged residents and Nigerians generally to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards and participate actively in the 2027 elections.
A prosecution under renewed scrutiny
The decision to abandon 18 counts has significantly altered the direction of the criminal case against Saraki and Ahmed.
It has also created a fresh political controversy, particularly with Popoola’s admission that political considerations influenced the campaign linking Saraki to the robbery.
For Saraki and his supporters, the developments reinforce their longstanding argument that the prosecution was designed to settle political scores rather than pursue justice.
For the Kwara State Government, however, the four amended charges remain allegations to be tested through the judicial process.
The central question now is whether the prosecution can establish a credible case under the amended charges after abandoning the bulk of its original allegations.
With the next appellate proceedings scheduled for November 12 and the 2027 elections approaching, the Offa robbery case is likely to remain both a significant legal battle and a major issue in Kwara State’s increasingly heated political contest.