Don’t Politicize Offa Robbery Case, Let Court Decide Your Fate, KGRG Tells Saraki
The Kwara Governance Reform Group (KGRG) has asked former Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki to prepare his defense against the charges filed against him by the state government in respect of the 2018 Offa Robbery incident rather than seeking to politicize the matter.
The KGRG in a prepared text read out by its Public Relations Officer, Queen Lateefat Olanrewaju during the press conference held at NUJ Press Centre, Ilorin on Friday, noted that rather than getting ready to submit himself to due legal process to clear his name, Dr Saraki has allegedly resorted to media campaigns using political affiliates to cast the matter as persecution and blackmail the Kwara State Government.
The press conference was attended by journalists including Team@orientactualmags.com.
The group also described allegations of political victimization as untrue while adding that Offa Descendants’ Union (ODU) had in 2024 urged the state government to ensure that everyone mentioned in connection with the robbery incident in question is brought to book.
‘This attempt to politicize a criminal matter must be rejected. For the avoidance of doubt, the renewed attention on this matter has nothing to do with government vendetta. The Offa Descendants’ Union (ODU), on October 3, 2024, formally petitioned the Kwara State Government to investigate former Senate President Bukola Saraki, former governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, and others mentioned by the convicted robbers.
This followed the ruling delivered by Justice Haleema Salman of Kwara State High Court, Ilorin which convicted five people and ordered that they should get executed by hanging for their role in the 2018 massacre.
At that material time, ODU made it clear that justice will not be complete until every individual linked to the crime, directly or indirectly, is subjected to due process.
That position gained further legal weight in January 2026 when the Court of Appeal in Ilorin upheld the convictions and death sentences of the five convicts, affirming findings on armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms and culpable homicide If proceedings remain alive at the Supreme Court, there is no legal or moral basis to suggest that those indicted in the course of investigation cannot face’ he said.
Noting that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is neither the police nor the court but had only taken steps in response to the grave allegations sequel to the investigation and the statements attributed to convicted members of the robbery gang, the organization also said the reopening of the robbery case should be seen as an opportunity by all the affected people to clear their names through lawful process, ‘if indeed they have nothing to hide, rather than making frantic efforts to politicize what is fundamentally a criminal prosecution’.
‘Justice for the 33 victims of Offa robbery must not be sacrificed on the altar of political convenience’ KGRG added.
KGRG also urged political actors especially PDP aspirants who have rushed to ‘frame this issue as partisan persecution’, to rethink their posture, adding that ‘turning a grave criminal matter into a platform for political solidarity undermines the cause of justice and sends a troubling signal that accountability is negotiable when powerful interests are involved’-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079, 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you
