Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has denied any involvement in the 2018 Offa robbery, describing renewed attempts to associate him with the incident as politically motivated and unfounded.
In a statement released on Friday, Saraki said he was compelled to respond following what he described as efforts by the Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to revive allegations linking him to the high profile robbery case.
“I have nothing to do directly or indirectly with any case of armed robbery or any criminal matter whatsoever,” Saraki stated firmly.
He alleged that the case was originally orchestrated during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari as a political strategy aimed at weakening his influence ahead of the 2019 general elections.
According to Saraki, investigations carried out at the time failed to elish any connection between him and the crime. He cited two separate legal advisories issued in 2018 by the Director of Public Prosecution in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, which he said cleared him of any wrongdoing.
Quoting from one of the reports, Saraki noted that there was no evidence linking him to the suspects, adding that a subsequent legal opinion also found no prima facie case against him.
He further explained that based on the DPP’s recommendations, those directly involved in the robbery were prosecuted and convicted at trial, with their convictions upheld on appeal. The matter, he added, is currently pending before the Supreme Court.
Saraki, however, accused the state governor of attempting to resurrect what he called baseless claims following his recent comments on insecurity in the state during a television interview.
Describing the move as frivolous and an abuse of court process, Saraki said his legal team would challenge any such action in court. He also alleged that attempts were made to pressure victims’ families into pursuing civil action against him, but claimed those efforts did not succeed.
He warned that such political disputes risk undermining the integrity of governance, noting that public accusations among top leaders could damage the credibility of democratic institutions.
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