A group concerned about good governance in Kwara State, Kwara Governance Reform Group (kGRG) has supported the prosecution of former governors of the state, Bukola Saraki and Abdulfatah Ahmed, over the Offa robbery incident, with the argument that justice in the case should not be incomplete.
The group took this position as opposition was being made in some quarters to the decision of the state government to prosecute the two former governors alongside two of their aides over the matter.
The government had said that it was prosecuting the former leaders after investigations and confessions of one of the five accused persons that have been convicted and had their conviction in the case confirmed by the Appeal Court, allegedly indicted the leaders.
But Saraki and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), his party, have spoken against the decision of the state government, saying the government was only playing politics with the robbery incident by resolving for a fresh prosecution of the case after the people involved had been tried and found guilty up to the Court of Appeal level.
Also, some other concerned individuals and groups have called on the state government to avoid political vendetta by withdrawing from prosecuting the two former governors and allowing peace to reign in the state.
But the KGRG, while addressing journalists on the development, said that the decision of the government should not be seen as being induced by political interest, as it noted that it was the people of Offa community where the robbery incident occurred that petitioned the government for the prosecution.
Publicity Secretary of the KGRG, Latifah Abiola Arewa, who spoke on behalf of the group, said the fresh prosecution would ensure complete justice is done in the case and may also afford those who have been indicted to clear their names.
She stated: “For the avoidance of doubt, the renewed attention on this matter did not originate from government vendetta. The Offa Descendants’ Union (ODU), on October 3, 2024, formally petitioned the Kwara State Government to investigate former Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, and others mentioned by convicted robbers.
“This followed the judgment of Justice Haleema Salman of the Kwara State High Court, which convicted and sentenced five suspects to death by hanging for their role in the 2018 massacre.
“At the time, ODU made it clear that justice would not be complete until every individual linked to the crime, directly or indirectly, is subjected to due process.
“That position gained further legal weight in January 2026 when the Court of Appeal in Ilorin upheld the convictions and death sentences of the five convicts, affirming findings on armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms and culpable homicide If proceedings remain alive at the Supreme Court, there is no legal or moral basis to suggest that those indicted in the course of investigation cannot face
trial.
“What is expected of Senator Saraki at this point is not political grandstanding or attacks on Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who is neither the police nor the court, but a direct response to the grave allegations arising from the investigation and the statements attributed to convicted members of the robbery gang.
“Those statements were made by criminals now convicted by both the High Court and the Court of Appeal, not by the Kwara State Government.
“This moment should be seen as an opportunity by all those named to clear their names through lawful process, if indeed they have nothing to hide, rather than making frantic efforts to politicize what is fundamentally a criminal prosecution.
“Justice for the 33 victims of Offa robbery must not be sacrificed on the altar of political convenience.
“We also urge political actors, particularly aspirants under the PDP who have rushed to frame this issue as partisan persecution, to rethink their posture.
“Turning a grave criminal matter into a platform for political solidarity undermines the cause of justice and sends a troubling signal that
accountability is negotiable when powerful interests are involved.
“At a time when arms proliferation, violent crime and kidnappings continue to threaten innocent lives across Kwara and beyond, every sincere voice should support efforts to uncover the networks enabling criminality, rather than obstruct justice.
“The memory of the victims of Offa robbery demands truth, accountability and justice; nothing less.”