WorldStage– The Kwara State Government has reopened the case on the 2018 Offa bank robbery and filed a 20-count criminal charge against former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.
The charges were filed on April 9, 2026, under case number KWS/114C/26.
A heavily armed gang of about 30 robbers had on April 5, 2018 attacked five commercial banks and the Divisional Police Headquarters in Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria, resulting in 33 deaths, including police officers and civilians as well as significant theft.
The robbers used explosive devices to access the banks and blocked entry points into the town, with the attack lasting roughly one hour.
The defendants in the latest case face allegations of culpable homicide and criminal conspiracy.
They are accused of allegedly arming and supporting suspects who were convicted for the April 2018 Offa bank robbery.
Also listed in the charges are Yusuf Abdulwahab, former Chief of Staff to ex-Governor Ahmed, and Alabi Olalekan, a former political aide.
The trial is scheduled to begin on June 4, 2026, before Justice Haleemah Salman at the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin.
The fresh trial follows a ruling by the Court of Appeal that upheld the conviction of the principal robbers, including Ayo Akinnibosun, who reportedly claimed to be a “hitman” for Saraki’s political group.
Bukola Saraki has denied all allegations, describing the fresh charges as “frivolous” and “politically motivated.”
His legal team maintains that previous federal investigations cleared him of any involvement.
If convicted, the defendants could potentially face the maximum sentence of death.
The April 5, 2018, Offa bank robbery remains one of Nigeria’s deadliest criminal incidents, in which heavily armed gang stormed Offa, Kwara State, around 4:30 PM, first attacking the Offa Divisional Police Headquarters to disable security.
They looted the armoury and killed all officers on duty before raiding several commercial banks.
The coordinated heist hit First Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), ECO Bank, Zenith Bank, Union Bank, and Ibolo Microfinance Bank.
The robbers used dynamite and explosive devices to gain entry to the banks and shot sporadically into the air and at civilians.
They escaped through the Igbosun/Ila Orangun route in a seven-vehicle convoy after an operation lasting about an hour.
The robbery was led by Ayoade Akinnibosun, the chairman of the Liberation Youth Movement in Kwara State.
On September 26, 2024, the Kwara State High Court sentenced five principal suspects to death by hanging, including Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salahudeen Azeez, and Niyi Ogundiran.
Michael Adikwu, a dismissed police constable and alleged mastermind, died in police custody before the trial could be completed.
In January 2026, the Court of Appeal upheld the death sentences for the five convicts, dismissing their grounds of appeal as lacking merit.
The case gained significant national attention due to alleged political ties as
confessions during initial parades featured gang leaders claiming they were political thugs sponsored with vehicles and funds by then-Senate President Bukola Saraki and former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.
Both Saraki and Ahmed have consistently denied any involvement, describing the allegations as a political witch-hunt and noting that previous federal investigations cleared them of direct criminal links.
