Kwara Reopens 2018 Offa Robbery Probe, Charges Saraki

The Kwara State government has moved to reopen the investigation into the 2018 Offa bank robbery, filing fresh charges against former Senate President Bukola Saraki and three others in connection with the attack that killed more than 30 people. The decision, announced recently, has ignited a fierce political dispute in the state, with opposition leaders accusing authorities of using the case to target rivals ahead of the 2027 elections.

The robbery occurred on April 5, 2018, when armed gunmen stormed several banks and a police station in the town of Offa, leaving a trail of deaths and injuries. Investigations at the time led to the arrest and prosecution of multiple suspects. In 2024, a Kwara State High Court convicted five individuals, sentencing them to death by hanging. The Court of Appeal in Ilorin upheld those convictions in January 2026, and the case is now awaiting a ruling from the Supreme Court.

State officials cited new evidence as the basis for the renewed charges against Saraki, including recovered weapons and exhibits allegedly traced to government facilities, as well as confessional statements from some of the convicted suspects. These statements reportedly...