By Our Correspondent

National News – Bukola Saraki, former Senate President, has strongly condemned fresh criminal allegations linked to the 2018 Offa bank robbery incident in Offa, Kwara State, describing the move as a desperate political attack by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.

He insisted the allegations are an abuse of court process aimed at damaging his reputation amid rising political tension in the state.

The controversy centres on the deadly April 5, 2018 Offa robbery in Kwara State, where coordinated attacks on banks and a police station left 33 people dead, including officers and civilians.

On April 9, 2026, the Kwara State Government filed a 20-count criminal charge before a court in the state against Saraki, former governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, and two former aides, alleging they armed or supported suspects later convicted.

The move follows earlier 2024 High Court convictions of five defendants, whose appeals are now ongoing.

Authorities claim the fresh charges aim to establish wider culpability, while Saraki insists the allegations are politically motivated and unsupported by prior legal advice from the DPP.

Responding, Saraki maintained that he has no direct or indirect involvement in armed robbery or any criminal activity, stressing that investigations by the police and legal advice from the Office of the Attorney General’s Director of Public Prosecutions in 2018 found no evidence linking him to the Offa robbery.

He described the fresh suit as politically motivated, alleging it is an attempt to revive a closed matter for political gains.

Saraki also accused the state government of selective disclosure of documents and vowed that his legal team would challenge the charges in court, while urging Governor Abdulrazaq to focus on governance and security.

The case is expected to deepen political tensions in Kwara State as stakeholders await judicial determination of the high-profile allegations.