The Kwara State Government has filed a 20-count charge against the former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and former governor of the state, Abdulfatah Ahmed, over allegations of arming suspects convicted of robbery in Offa.
Other defendants in the case are Yusuf Abdulwahab, a former chief of staff to Ahmed, and Alabi Olalekan, another aide.
The charges were filed at the Kwara state high court in Ilorin on April 9, 2026.
“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) on or about the 5th day of April, 2018 at Offa, Kwara State, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired among yourselves to do an illegal act to wit; committed armed robbery at the premises of Guarantee Trust Bank Plc, Offa branch, First Bank of Nigeria Plc Offa branch, Eco Bank Offa branch and Union Bank Plc Offa branch and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6(b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act. CAP R11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and Punishable under Section 1(2) of the same Act,” the charge sheet reads.
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“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) on or about the 5th day of April, 2018 at Offa, Kwara State, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, 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. CAP R11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”
BACKGROUND
On April 5, 2018, multiple banks were raided, and a police station was attacked in Offa, a town in Kwara state, resulting in 33 fatalities, including a pregnant woman and 12 police officers.
In September 2024, a high court in Kwara found the five defendants guilty of illegal possession of firearms, armed robbery, and culpable homicide.
The defendants are Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salahudeen Azeez and Niyi Ogundiran.
In January, the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction and sentence of the five convicts.
Some days after the robbery incident, the police invited Saraki and alleged that Akinnibosun, the gang leader, claimed that the gang members were political thugs to Saraki.
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The police also alleged that Akinnibosun claimed that he got vehicles and monetary gifts from Bukola Saraki through Abdulwahab.
Speaking during the parade of suspects, Akinnibosun told journalists that his group had been working for Saraki since he was governor.
The gang leader also told journalists that Saraki was not aware of their involvement in the armed robbery.
During a court hearing in March 2019, Akinnibosun alleged that Abba Kyari, then deputy commissioner of police, asked him and the other accused persons to implicate Saraki and that he was threatened to make confessional statements.
Saraki has since denied any form of connection with the armed robbery suspects.
Saraki governed Kwara between 2003 and 2011. He served as the Senate President from 2015 to 2019.
Ahmed became Kwara governor after the tenure of Saraki in 2011 and served till 2019.
