The office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) found no evidence linking Bukola Saraki to the 2018 Offa robbery incident, according to official legal advice issued at the time.
Two separate advisories dated June 22 and August 23, 2018, and signed by the director of public prosecutions on behalf of then AGF, Abubakar Malami, stated that investigators were unable to establish any connection between Saraki and the deadly attack.
The Offa robbery, which occurred on April 5, 2018, involved coordinated assaults on several banks and a police station in Kwara State. The incident left 33 people dead, including police officers and civilians.
Following the attack, police arrested multiple suspects, including alleged gang leader Ayoade Akinnibosun. During initial investigations, some suspects claimed they had links to Saraki.
However, the legal advice from the AGF’s office noted that there was no credible evidence to support those claims.
In the June 2018 advisory, the AGF’s office stated that it could not establish a nexus between the alleged offences and Saraki, recommending further investigation. The August 2018 advisory reaffirmed this position, stating that there was still no prima facie case to charge him with offences such as armed robbery, criminal conspiracy, or culpable homicide.
The legal opinion also indicated that one of the suspects could be prosecuted separately for illegal possession of firearms, while no sufficient evidence was found to charge other individuals allegedly linked to the case.
In subsequent developments, a Kwara State High Court in 2024 convicted five defendants connected to the robbery and sentenced them to death. The judgment was later upheld by the Court of Appeal.
Despite the earlier legal position of the AGF’s office, the Kwara State Government has recently filed fresh charges against Saraki and former governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, alleging their involvement in arming the suspects.
Saraki has denied the allegations, describing them as politically motivated.
The case continues to generate debate over the handling of the investigation and the evolving legal actions surrounding the Offa robbery.
