Former Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, has rejected a reported 20-count charge allegedly filed against him and others over the 2018 Offa robbery, describing the move as a politically driven attempt to persecute opposition figures.
In a statement on Saturday, April 18, Ahmed said the charges reportedly initiated under the administration of AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq are “false, baseless, and a desperate attempt to weaponise the instruments of the state.”
“My attention has been drawn to the so-called 20-count charge reportedly filed by the administration of AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq against my person, alongside that of Bukola Saraki and others, over the tragic 2018 Offa robbery. Let me state clearly and unequivocally: these allegations are false, baseless, and a desperate attempt to weaponise the instruments of the state for political persecution.
“Let me state clearly and unequivocally: these allegations are false, baseless, and a desperate attempt to weaponise the instruments of the state for political persecution,” Ahmed said.
Ahmed’s statement followed the 20-count charge suit the Kwara State Government filed against the former senate president Bukola Saraki and Abdulfatah Ahmed over allegations that they were armed suspects convicted in connection with the Offa robbery.
In charges filed on April 9, 2026, at the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin, also listed as defendants Yusuf Abdulwahab, a former Chief of Staff to Ahmed, and Alabi Olalekan, another aide.
The former governor, who was named alongside former Senate President Saraki, insisted he has no connection, “direct or indirect,” to the deadly robbery attack that shook Offa in 2018 and left dozens dead.
“The Offa robbery remains one of the most painful chapters in the history of our dear state. Like every well-meaning Kwaran, I mourned the victims and stood firmly for justice. It is therefore both shocking and deeply troubling that years after thorough investigations and judicial processes at the federal level, this administration has chosen to resurrect a matter already settled for purely political ends,” he explained.
Ahmed argued that the Offa robbery case had already undergone extensive investigation and judicial review at the federal level, making the current charges suspicious.
“Let it also be known that during my tenure, I upheld the rule of law and never interfered with security agencies or judicial processes. I have nothing to hide and absolutely no link, direct or indirect, to any criminal activity, including the unfortunate Offa incident. The attempt to rely on recycled testimonies and discredited claims only reinforces what this trial truly represents; a political script, not a pursuit of justice.
“I have full confidence in the judiciary and trust that the courts will not allow themselves to be used as tools for political manipulation. Truth remains constant, and no amount of propaganda can overturn it,” he added.
He accused the Kwara State Government of pursuing a political agenda ahead of the 2027 elections, alleging that the case is intended to silence perceived opponents and shift public attention away from governance challenges.
“This latest move by the Kwara State Government is not about justice. It is about vendetta. It is about silencing perceived political opponents and rewriting narratives ahead of 2027. It is about distracting the good people of Kwara from the pressing issues of governance, including economic hardship, rising insecurity, and the visible decline in infrastructure and public services across the state.
“There are serious security situations with over 400 deaths, over 200 in captivity , all left with reckless abandonment. The best we could do in this circumstance is a political mockery…no Kwarans deserve more. With no new evidences, case has gone to the highest court where the hopes of the common lies. Yet rather than accept incapacity, the gov has chosen a path of mockery for the innocent and peace loving people of Offa. Time for Kwarans to recalibrate and avoid the kind of mistake that brought characters like this to lead us,” Ahmed said.
Ahmed decried what he termed a “mockery of the dead,” arguing that revisiting the case without new evidence undermines justice for victims of the Offa robbery, as he urged residents of Kwara State to remain calm and law-abiding, warning against what he described as attempts to create division and distraction.
“To the good people of Kwara State, I urge you to remain calm, law-abiding, and focused. Do not be distracted by this calculated attempt to divide us or derail our collective aspirations for a better Kwara. History will judge all actions, and justice, true justice, will prevail. Kwarans should not allow this kind of judicial rascality and political weaponization of sad events to create diversionary attention. This is a clear mockery of the dead.
Background
The April 2018 Offa robbery was one of Nigeria’s most notorious armed attacks in recent years, involving coordinated assaults on five commercial banks and security personnel, and resulting in multiple fatalities of at least 33 killed 33 persons, including a pregnant woman and 12 police officers.
The robbers attacked First Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, Ecobank, Zenith, Union Bank and Ibolo Micro-Finance Bank, all in Offa.
The case drew national attention and led to a series of arrests, prosecutions, and political controversy as two of the suspects involved in the armed robbery were arrested by the police in May.
In June, the police invited Ahmed and Saraki over the bank robberies and to report to the Force Intelligence Response Team Office at Guzape, Abuja to answer to the allegations reportedly levelled against them by five alleged gang leaders involved in the robberies.
However, both Saraki and Ahmed denied association with the armed robbers. In September 2024, a high court in Kwara found the five defendants guilty of illegal possession of firearms, armed robbery, and culpable homicide. In January, the court of appeal upheld the conviction and sentence of the five convicts.
Ahmed’s latest remarks are likely to further intensify debate over the case, especially as political activities gradually build toward the 2027 general elections.
Saraki governed Kwara between 2003 and 2011. He served as the senate president from 2015 to 2019, and Ahmed became Kwara governor after the tenure of Saraki in 2011 and served till 2019.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.