The Media Office of former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has criticised Kwara State governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, over his handling of insecurity in the state, particularly following the recent bandit attack in Oke-Ode, which claimed 21 lives.
In a statement released in Abuja by Yusuph Olaniyonu, Head of Saraki’s Media Office, the governor was accused of dodging responsibility for the growing insecurity across the state by making “false, defamatory, and irresponsible insinuations” against Dr. Saraki.
The statement was in response to remarks made by Governor Abdulrazaq during a visit to Oke-Ode, where he appeared to compare the recent spate of violent attacks in Kwara North and South to the 2018 Offa robbery incident.
“Equating widespread killings and kidnappings with a single robbery event reflects either gross insensitivity or a fundamental failure to grasp the seriousness of the security crisis,” the statement said.
Saraki’s office noted that over 50 communities across the Kwara North and South senatorial districts have suffered repeated attacks, forcing many residents to flee to Ilorin or leave the state entirely.
The former Senate President’s camp also critici#ed Governor Abdulrazaq for waiting five days before visiting Oke-Ode, suggesting his visit was reactionary and triggered only after Saraki brought national attention to the tragedy.
“Dr. Saraki’s intention was to spur action. If that is what finally compelled the governor to visit the affected community, then the objective was achieved,” the statement read.
It further condemned the governor for attending a project commissioning event in Imo State while his own constituents were under siege, describing it as a demonstration of misplaced priorities.
The statement urged the governor to extend visits to other violence-hit areas such as Edu, Patigi, Isin, Irepodun, Oke Ero, and parts of Ifelodun Local Government Area.
It also recommended convening regular Security Council meetings and involving traditional rulers to improve grassroots-level intelligence and response.
Responding to Governor Abdulrazaq’s apparent attempt to revive links between Saraki and the 2018 Offa robbery, Saraki’s media office reiterated that the former Senate President had been cleared of any involvement by the Federal Government.
It referenced two reports from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, dated June and August 2018, which found no evidence — direct or indirect — tying Saraki to the crime.
“The claim has always been baseless and was part of a now-collapsed smear campaign that helped bring the current governor to power,” the statement said.
The media office also accused Governor Abdulrazaq of backing a politically motivated lawsuit filed by selected family members of Offa robbery victims, aimed at tarnishing Saraki’s image.
It noted that the same lawyer representing the plaintiffs is also defending the governor’s media aide, Michael Yinka Fafoluyi, in a libel suit filed by Saraki.
A press conference by Offa community group Offa Koya, Offa Kowosi, was cited, in which the group dissociated itself from what it called the “dirty politics” surrounding the tragic robbery incident.
Additionally, some relatives of the victims reportedly went on TNT Radio in Offa in August 2025 to publicly distance themselves from the lawsuit and urged political actors to stop exploiting their grief for political gain.
In conclusion, Saraki’s office called on governor Abdulrazaq to stop politicizing insecurity and instead focus on fulfilling his constitutional duties as the Chief Security Officer of Kwara State.
