The Kwara Governance Reform Group (KGRG) has called on former Senate President Bukola Saraki and former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed to face their day in court rather than attempting to blackmail the state government through media campaigns.
At a press conference held on Friday at the NUJ Secretariat in Ilorin, the group’s Publicity Secretary, Latifah Biola Olanrewaju insisted that the recent charges filed against the political leaders are a direct result of judicial findings and community petitions, not political persecution.
The KGRG pointed out that the renewed focus on Saraki and Ahmed originated from the Offa Descendants’ Union (ODU). On October 3, 2024, the ODU formally petitioned the Kwara State Government to investigate individuals mentioned by the convicts, following the death sentences handed down to five suspects by Justice Haleema Salman.
“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,” Olanrewaju stated adding that this position was further solidified in January 2026 when the Court of Appeal in Ilorin upheld those death sentences.
The group expressed concern over what it described as a pattern of using political affiliates to cast legal scrutiny as vendetta, maintaining that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is neither the police nor the court, and that the allegations stem from the statements of the convicted robbers themselves.
“What is expected of Senator Saraki at this point is not political grandstanding or attacks on the Governor, but a direct response to the grave allegations arising from the investigation,” the group added.
“This should be seen as an opportunity for those named to clear their names if indeed they have nothing to hide.” they said.
KGRG also took aim at Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirants who have rushed to frame the prosecution as partisan warfare, warning that such solidarity sends a “troubling signal” that accountability is negotiable when powerful interests are involved.
“Justice for the 33 victims of the Offa robbery must not be sacrificed on the altar of political convenience,” the statement read.
“At a time when arms proliferation and violent crime threaten innocent lives, every sincere voice should support efforts to uncover the networks enabling criminality.” they added.