Ex-APC chieftain admits Offa robbery allegation against Saraki was political

Former APC chieftain Saheed Popoola has admitted that he and others linked ex-Governor Bukola Saraki to the 2018 Offa bank robbery to settle political scores, saying he regrets joining the 2019 campaign against him.

A former All Progressives Congress (APC) member in Kwara State, Saheed Popoola, has admitted playing a leading role in linking former Governor Bukola Saraki to the 2018 Offa bank robbery to settle political scores, Peoples Gazette reported.

Popoola, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for Kwara South, made the disclosure on Sunday during a visit to the palace of the Olofa of Offa, Mufutau Gabadamosi. “We pinned the Offa robbery on Saraki to settle political scores,” he said.

He said he regretted joining the campaign against Saraki in the 2019 elections, adding: “I regret fighting Saraki because I was misinformed during the ‘Otoge’ struggle.” His remarks came amid the ongoing prosecution of Saraki by the Kwara State government over alleged sponsorship of the robbery, which he has repeatedly denied.

The April 2018 robbery left 33 people dead. Orisun Igbomina convener Gbenga Awoyale also expressed regret over his role in the Otoge campaign, while Saraki donated N50 million towards Offa’s electricity challenges.