Saraki Faults Gov AbdulRazaq’s Aide over Offa Robbery Comment, Says Claim Poorly Articulated, Deceitful

  Hammed Shittu in Ilorin 

A former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has faulted comments credited to the Special Assistant on Political Matters to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, Mr. Sai Kai, describing them as false and misleading.

In a statement issued yesterday in Ilorin by Saraki’s Press Officer on Local Matters in the Saraki Media Office, Mallam Abdulganiyu Abdulqadir, the former Senate president described the aide’s comment linking him to the 2018 Offa robbery case as “poorly articulated, deceitful, and filled with deliberate misinformation.” 

The statement stressed that Saraki had long been cleared of any connection to the robbery by the Federal Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) under the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.

According to the statement, “If he had read the court’s position carefully, he would have discovered that Dr. Saraki was absolved of any wrongdoing. Two separate letters from the DPP confirmed that he had no link with the unfortunate incident.”

 Saraki accused the state government of using false narratives to divert attention from what it described as its failure to address the worsening insecurity across Kwara State.

It said several communities in Kwara North and South had been deserted due to repeated bandit attacks, leading to the loss of lives and mass displacement of residents.

“This tragic situation has led to overcrowding, food insecurity, and unemployment, as people flee from their homes in search of safety,” the statement added.

The statement lamented that the state, once known as the State of Harmony, has turned into a state of fear under Governor AbdulRazaq’s watch, citing increasing incidents of kidnapping, killings, and violent attacks.

It recalled that insecurity had forced the relocation of the NYSC Orientation Camp in Yikpata, Edu Local Government Area (LGA), and the School of Health Technology, Oke-Ode, Ifelodun LGA, to Ilorin.

The statement also criticised the government’s handling of the Kwara Garment Factory, which was recently shut down less than a year after its commissioning.

“Workers protested over poor working conditions and salary deductions, which shows the lack of sustainability in government projects and the administration’s preference for media propaganda over substance,” it stated.

On governance and transparency, Saraki. alleged that the Abdulrazaq administration had failed to account for the state’s record-high federal allocations and internally generated revenue.

“Contracts are awarded in secrecy, project costs are inflated, and governance has been reduced to political showmanship,” the statement said.

It further accused the governor’s camp of targeting the Saraki family out of “envy and bitterness,” noting that late Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki, fondly called Baba Oloye, earned the love of Kwarans through selfless service and inclusiveness qualities the current administration allegedly lacks.

The statement concluded by urging Governor AbdulRazaq to focus on governance, economic recovery, and the protection of lives and property, rather than engaging in political distractions.

“Kwarans are tired of excuses,” the statement said. “They deserve responsible leadership, not propaganda,” the statement added.