They charged him with armed robbery. Now they've quietly dropped 18 of those charges. So what was it all about?

Listen, this one is getting messy in Kwara.

Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has come out swinging after the Kwara State Government dropped 18 out of 20 charges against him and former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed over the 2018 Offa bank robbery.

Yes, 18 gone. Just like that.

Remember what happened in Offa? 5 April 2018. Armed men hit five banks in one afternoon - GTB, First Bank, Ecobank, Union Bank, and Zenith Bank. Over 30 people were killed, including police officers. It shook the whole country. Families in Offa are still living with that trauma today.

Saraki and Ahmed were later charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery, killing police officers, illegal possession of firearms, and the like.

Now, according to Saraki's media office, the state has withdrawn all of that. What's left? Just two counts - that they conspired to belong to a gang of thieves and concealed a vehicle allegedly used for illegal purposes.

Saraki's team isn't mincing words. They say the withdrawal is an admission that there was never a case in the first place. They call it an abuse of power, a travesty of justice, and a mockery of the state's prosecutorial powers.

And here's where it gets political. Saraki's office alleges the Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq administration spent close to N100m on newspaper adverts earlier this year publicising the claims against his predecessors. Money, they argue, that could have gone to schools, roads, hospitals.

They also say the timing is no coincidence. The amendment came just as Saraki was touring Offa and Kwara South campaigning for PDP candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.

This isn't just about two former governors. It's about how criminal charges are used in Nigerian politics, and whether the justice system can be trusted when high-profile cases collapse after years of headlines.

What happens next?

Saraki's lawyers say they will challenge the remaining two charges in court. The state government is yet to respond in detail to the abuse-of-power allegation. And for the victims' families in Offa, the big question remains: eight years on, who will finally get justice for April 2018?

This is a developing story. cbinews.tv will keep following it.

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