By Isiaka Mustapha, Editor-in-Chief, People’s Security Monitor

The Kwara State Government has amended its criminal charges against two former governors, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, over the controversial 2018 Offa bank robbery case, withdrawing 18 of the original 20 counts and introducing two fresh allegations. The amendment reduces the total number of charges to four, marking a significant development in the prolonged legal battle involving the former Senate President and his successor.

The amended charge sheet, numbered KWS/114C/2026 and signed by the State Attorney General, Senior Ibrahim Sulyman (SAN), accuses Saraki, Ahmed and two other defendants, Yusuf Abdulwahab and Alabi Olalekan, of conspiracy to belong to a gang of thieves and membership of a gang of thieves. The remaining two counts relate to the alleged concealment and disappearance of a vehicle said to have been used for an unlawful purpose.

The prosecution has also filed a motion on notice dated November 6, 2026, seeking the court’s consideration of the amended charges. The application is supported by a six paragraph affidavit deposed to by Sulyman Mohammed Jamiu, a litigation clerk in the office of the state Attorney General. The amendment effectively removes the previous allegations relating to armed robbery against the four defendants.

The development comes amid continuing legal disagreements over the jurisdiction and proceedings of the trial court. At the November 5 sitting, Justice Osuolale Ajayi of the Kwara State High Court reserved ruling on whether the arraignment could proceed while an application for a stay of proceedings remained pending before the Court of Appeal. The appellate court had, on November 3, advised counsel to Ahmed, Mr J.A. Mumini (SAN), to file a formal application seeking an order directing parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum. The appeal was subsequently adjourned to November 12.

The trial, which commenced in April 2026, has yet to progress to substantive hearing, largely because of preliminary legal applications and disputes that have continued to engage the attention of the appellate court. The latest amendment represents another major turn in a case that has attracted considerable public attention because of the political standing of the defendants and the gravity of the original allegations.

Reacting to the development, a member of the legal team representing Saraki and Ahmed described the prosecution’s decision as a mockery of the judicial process, questioning the basis for replacing the earlier armed robbery allegations with accusations of belonging to a gang of thieves. The lawyer maintained that the amended charges would not succeed and insisted that the defence was prepared to challenge them in court. The legal team also accused the state government of pursuing the former governors for political reasons, an allegation that has not been independently established.

Meanwhile, the state Attorney General and other government lawyers could not be reached for comments on the latest amendment. However, sources close to the state government reportedly indicated that the decision followed legal advice that the original charge sheet was inadequate to secure the prosecution’s objectives. The defendants remain entitled to the presumption of innocence until the allegations against them are established before a competent court.