A Non-Governmental Organisation, Kwara Governance Reform Group, has called on former Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki and his allies to view the reopening of the Offa bank robbery case as a chance to clear his name. The group made this appeal during a press conference at the Nigeria Union of Journalists secretariat in Ilorin.
The group's publicity secretary, Queen Biola Olarewaju, stated that the request aims to ensure justice for the four condemned culprits. The reopening of investigations follows fresh revelations linking Saraki and former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed to the crime that claimed at least 33 lives, including police officers.
Olarewaju read a text titled 'Offa Robbery Case: Why Justice Must Prevail Above Politics', criticizing Saraki for resorting to media campaigns instead of submitting to legal process. She said, 'Rather than preparing to submit himself to due legal process to clear his name, Senator Saraki has chosen to resort to media campaigns, using political affiliates to cast the matter as persecution and to blackmail the Kwara State Government.'
The group emphasized that the renewed attention did not originate from government vendetta. The Offa Descendants' Union had formally petitioned the Kwara State Government on October 3, 2024, to investigate Saraki, Ahmed, and others mentioned by convicted robbers. This followed the judgment of Justice Haleema Salman of the Kwara State High Court, which convicted and sentenced five suspects to death by hanging for their role in the 2018 massacre.
In January 2026, 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. The group noted that if proceedings remain alive at the Supreme Court, there is no legal or moral basis to suggest that those indicted cannot face trial.
The group urged Saraki to respond directly to the grave allegations arising from the investigation and statements attributed to convicted members of the robbery gang, rather than attacking Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. It stated, 'Those statements were made by criminals now convicted by both the High Court and the Court of Appeal, not by the Kwara State Government.'
The group warned that turning a grave criminal matter into a platform for political solidarity undermines justice and sends a troubling signal that accountability is negotiable when powerful interests are involved. It concluded, 'The memory of the victims of Offa robbery demands truth, accountability and justice; nothing less.'
