‘Desperate Ploy By A Drowning Politician’ — Saraki Fires Back At Governor AbdulRazak Over Offa Robbery Charges

Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has rejected the criminal charges initiated against him over the 2018 robbery attack in Offa town, describing the move by Governor Abdulrahman AbdulKazakhstan as “a desperate ploy by a drowning politician.”

Saraki, in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, said he had “nothing to do directly or indirectly with any case of armed robbery or any criminal matter whatsoever,” insisting that the allegations were politically motivated.

While describing the criminal case as “dirty politics taken too far and too low”, Saraki warned Abdulrazaq to desist from this despicable act of using the Offa robbery incident as a weapon anytime he came under political pressure over his poor policy conception and failure to live up to expectations as a governor of a state known as the State of Harmony.

He accused incumbemt Kwara State governor of reviving the case in response to criticism of his administration, particularly after a recent interview on Channels Television where he faulted the state government’s handling of insecurity.

“Ordinarily, my attitude to this insidious move by the incumbent Governor of Kwara State to initiate a case of criminal liability against me in the unfortunate incident of armed robbery which happened in Offa community eight years ago should be to shrug it off and say that we will meet in court since I know I have nothing to do with the incident or any other crime for that matter,” Saraki stated in the statement.

The former Senate President further alleged that the Offa robbery case was originally politicised under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari as “an instrument of blackmail to seize political power” in Kwara State ahead of the 2019 elections.

“However, I have been inundated with calls from many well-meaning Nigerians who were surprised by this turn of events. Thus, for the benefit of the general public, let me categorically state that I have nothing to do directly or indirectly with any case of armed robbery or any criminal matter, whatsoever. The Offa robbery incident was designed under the Buhari administration with the connivance of some individuals from Kwara State as an instrument of blackmail to seize political power from our group in 2019.”

Citing legal opinions from the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Saraki noted that the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), in two separate advisories dated June 22 and August 23, 2018, found no evidence linking him to the crime.

“ The DPP in his first legal advice stated that “For the Senate President and the Kwara State Governor, this office is unable to establish from the evidence in the interim report a nexus between the alleged offence and the suspects”. In a second report, the DPP stated that “With regards to the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, since there is no departure from the earlier findings in the interim report, this office is still unable to establish any prima facie case against him for any offences of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and culpable homicide.”

Saraki added that following the DPP’s advice, four suspects were prosecuted and convicted, with the case currently before the Supreme Court.

He accused the Kwara State governor of deliberately omitting these legal findings while publicising fresh charges.

“Suddenly, the governor woke up after I granted my interview to Channels TV where I commented on the insecurity in the state and thought he could resurrect these baseless charges against his two predecessors. I noticed that in his propaganda plan to circulate his frivolous charges and other skewed documents as paid advertisements in the national newspapers, even before serving the defendants, he intentionally hid the DPP reports and other documents which put a lie to the charade he is perpetuating. These are deliberate efforts to mislead the media and induce them to give purchased publicity to the frame-up,” he noted.

Describing the charges as “frivolous” and an “abuse of court process,” Saraki said his legal team would challenge the case in court.

“Therefore, I am under no illusion that this case was a frivolous move and an abuse of the court process to embarrass my person. My legal team will definitely meet this governor in court. I believe that Abdulrahman just feels that he could still use this case to harass and defame my person by abusing the judicial process, “ he added

The former Senate President also claimed that attempts were made to persuade victims’ families to file civil suits against him, but these efforts did not succeed. “He had tried to induce the families of the victims to initiate civil litigations against the other respondents and me, but he seemed not to be making progress with that mischievous effort because the families backed out.”

Saraki further criticised AbdulRazaq’s leadership, accusing him of focusing on “dirty politics” rather than addressing insecurity in the state.

“I need to remind him that this vicious attack on my reputation because he enjoys the immunity of a governor is a huge joke on him. A sitting governor who is accusing his two immediate predecessors of armed robbery is only making a mockery of the institution. He is only taking the governorship of our dear state to the gutter. This is an example of dirty politics taken too far and too low. He ought to know that nobody at the national or state level is buying his claim. He is the butt of a crude joke. Many of those involved in the plot to blackmail me with the Offa robbery case have since faced the judgments of the law of karma. I do not doubt that this governor will end up the same way.

“One would have thought that a governor whose state has lost over 400 lives to banditry… would concentrate efforts… on taming the menace,” he said. “No. He is fixated on filing frivolous and politically motivated charges against his predecessors.”

In a sharp personal remark, Saraki questioned the governor’s educational background, stating, “For a man who never completed secondary school education, it is difficult for him to appreciate the issues involved in any matter.”

Despite the ongoing dispute, Saraki expressed confidence in the judiciary, saying it would ultimately deliver justice.

““Let me however reiterate my unflinching belief and confidence in the ability of the judiciary to give justice at all times and to all categories of persons, no matter who their accusers are and whatever the motivation is. I believe the judiciary will always sort out the chaff from the wheat in the various cases before it. My legal team have been fully briefed and I know this case against me will collapse like a pack of cards,” he stated.