By Emmanuel Thomas, SCM Correspondent
The Kwara State Government has initiated a fresh legal battle against the former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and the immediate past Governor of the state, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed.
The duo has been slammed with a 20-count charge bordering on the alleged arming of suspects involved in the bloody April 2018 Offa bank robbery, which claimed dozens of lives.
The charge, marked No. KWS/114C/26, was filed following a recent Court of Appeal judgment that upheld the convictions of several suspects, including Ayo Akinnibosun. During the initial trial, Akinnibosun had allegedly confessed to being a “hitman” for the Saraki political dynasty.
According to the court documents, Saraki and Ahmed are expected to face charges including:
Culpable Homicide
Criminal Conspiracy
Illegal Possession of Firearms
Aiding and Abetting
The defendants are scheduled to be arraigned before Justice Haleemah Salman of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on June 4.
The prosecution’s case relies heavily on exhibits recovered during the 2018 investigation. It would be recalled that vehicles and other items linked to the crime scenes were reportedly recovered from the Kwara State Government House and a state ministry.
These items served as crucial evidence that eventually led to the conviction of the primary suspects.
While Saraki has consistently denied any personal acquaintance with Akinnibosun, the prosecution is expected to lean on photographs showing the two together during the wedding ceremony of one of Saraki’s children.
Saraki Reacts: “A Political Plot”
In a swift reaction, the former Senate President has dismissed the charges as a calculated attempt by the state government to orchestrate his political downfall.
“This is a desperate plot to ruin me politically by linking me to a crime I know nothing about,” Saraki stated, maintaining that the allegations are recycled and politically motivated.
The upcoming June 4 arraignment is expected to be a high-stakes legal showdown, as the state seeks to establish a direct link between the political leadership of that era and the armed gang that terrorized Offa six years ago.
