Offa Bank Robbery: Why Ex-Governors Saraki, Ahmed Are Charged with Culpable Homicide

Kwara State Government has officially filed a 20-count charge against former Senate President Bukola Saraki and former Governor Abdulfatai Ahmed over their alleged arming of top suspects convicted in the tragic Offa armed robbery incident of April 2018.

The other suspects are the Chief of Staff to Governor Ahmed Yusuf Abdulwahab and another aide, Alabi Olalekan.

The long-awaited trial with charge No: kWS/114C/26 comes after the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction of the suspects, including Ayo Akinnibosun, who had confessed during trial to being a hit man of Saraki’s political dynasty.

Saraki and others are to face a 20-count charge of culpable homicide and criminal conspiracy, among others. They will be arraigned before Hon. Justice Haleemah Salman of the Kwara State High Court of Justice in Ilorin.

It will be recalled that vehicles and some exhibits traceable to the crime scenes were recovered from the Kwara State Government House and a Government Ministry in 2018 and same were used as exhibits leading to the conviction of the suspects.

Although Saraki, a former Kwara Governor, had denied knowing Akinnibosun, the two had been seen together in photographs taken during the wedding of Saraki’s child, even as Akinnibosun and his gang members also escorted Saraki to Offa on the condolence visit following the same Bank robbery.

“The two Ak47 rifles in my possession were given to me by the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Kwara State Hon. Yusuf Abdulwahab (third defendant) two days toward the congress election,” according to his proof of evidence already filed before the court.

“I head a group of political thugs working for Senator Bukola Saraki and the Governor of Kwara State Fatai Ahmed. He usually gives me money to share with my boys and recently he gave me a Toyota Lexus 300 Jeep with the name of Senator Saraki as the number plate. The last money he gave me was N500,000.

“I also know some of the other political thugs who are in Kwara Central with guns and who are sponsored by Senator Bukola Saraki, namely Alhaji Alawo, Alhaji Dona, and Alhaji Jawondo. All the above-mentioned political thugs are also armed with rifles. I know about this because we are all working for the Senate President.”

Akinnibosun said he was called to join Saraki for the Offa condolence visit after the robbery by one Samson Bada.

“I then drove my Lexus Jeep and left to pick up Arrow and Adex-Adeola so we could leave together,” he added.

In his proof of evidence before the court, Yusuf Abdulwahab, the then Chief of Staff, admitted to giving Akinnibosun the Lexus Jeep as well as other groups.

He also said Akinnibosun and his group members visited Government House occasionally to discuss their empowerment and that the vehicle gift was at the instance of the then Government.

(News Express)