By Ayodele Oni
Former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has emphasized that he has nothing to do with a deadly robbery incident in Offa in 2018.
Saraki expressed surprise about current moves by Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, to initiate a criminal case against him over the incident. He described the action as “a desperate ploy by a drowning politician.”
In a statement he personally signed on Friday, Saraki denied any involvement in the robbery, insisting he had “nothing to do directly or indirectly with any case of armed robbery or any criminal matter whatsoever
He said: “Ordinarily, my attitude to this insidious move by the incumbent Governor of Kwara State to initiate a case of criminal liability against me in the unfortunate incident of armed robbery, which happened in Offa community eight years ago, should be to shrug it off and say that we will meet in Court since I know I have nothing to do with the incident.”
Saraki, however, explained that he was compelled to respond publicly due to widespread reactions from Nigerians.
“However, I have been inundated with calls from many well-meaning Nigerians who were surprised by this turn of events.
“Thus, for the benefit of the general public, let me categorically state that I have nothing to do directly or indirectly with any case of armed robbery or any criminal matter, whatsoever,” he said.
The former Senate President further alleged that the Offa robbery case was politically motivated from the outset.
According to him, “The Offa robbery incident was designed under the Buhari administration with the connivance of some individuals from Kwara State as an instrument of blackmail to seize political power from our group in 2019.”
Referencing past investigations, Saraki noted that the case had been reviewed by authorities, including the office of the Inspector General of Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) under the Attorney General of the Federation.
He quoted the DPP’s findings, stating: “For the Senate President and the Kwara State Governor, this office is unable to establish from the evidence in the interim report a nexus between the alleged offence and the suspects.”
He added that a subsequent legal opinion reaffirmed the earlier position thus: “With regards to the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, since there is no departure from the earlier findings in the interim report, this office is still unable to establish any prima facie case against him for any offences of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and culpable homicide.”
Saraki pointed out that based on the DPP’s advice, four suspects were prosecuted, convicted, and their convictions upheld on appeal, with the matter currently before the Supreme Court.
He accused the Governor of reviving the issue for political reasons following his recent criticism of the State Government.
“Suddenly, the Governor woke up after I granted my interview to Channels TV where I commented on the insecurity in the State and thought he could resurrect these baseless charges against his two predecessors,” he said.
Saraki, also, alleged that the State Government deliberately withheld key documents.
“I noticed that in his propaganda plan, he intentionally hid the DPP reports and other documents which put a lie to the charade he is perpetuating. These are deliberate efforts to mislead the media,” he stated.
He described the case as frivolous, and said, “Therefore, I am under no illusion that this case was a frivolous move and an abuse of court process to embarrass my person. My legal team will definitely meet this Governor in court.”
He further accused Abdulrazaq of attempting to instigate civil suits through victims’ families, claiming the effort failed.
“He had tried to induce the families of the victims to initiate civil litigations but he seemed not to be making progress because the families backed out,” Saraki alleged.
The former Senate President criticized the Governor’s leadership, arguing that governance priorities were misplaced.
“One would have thought that a governor whose state has lost over 400 lives to banditry would concentrate efforts on taming the menace. No. He is fixated on filing frivolous and politically motivated charges.
“This is a mere act of a desperate politician who is losing control in his party and knows that his days in governance are numbered.
“Let me, however, reiterate my unflinching belief and confidence in the ability of the judiciary to give justice at all times. I know this case against me will collapse like a pack of cards,” he concluded
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