By Kehinde Emmanuel, Ilorin
A public affairs commentator, Alhaji Abdulganiyu Seriki has expressed support to the position of a human right activist, Mr Femi Falana, (SAN) who canvassed that security agencies and prosecutors should ensure that several high-profile murder and homicide cases involving politically exposed and influential individuals are not swept under the carpet.
In a statement on Monday, he said the government human rights record will improve both nationally and internationally when government ensures that such matters are not ignored.
He noted that murder and homicide cases are criminal in nature and must not be treated with kid gloves.
Recall that Falana in a statement issued on behalf of the Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 & Beyond alleged that murder cases linked to members of the political elite in Nigeria are often deliberately weakened to secure acquittals.
Falana said, “In Nigeria, murder cases traceable to members of the ruling class and other highly connected persons are usually covered up. In many instances, prosecutions are “deliberately bungled by public prosecutors to pave way for the dubious acquittal of the murderers.”
The SAN identified five controversial cases which should not be swept under the carpet. He urged the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, and state attorneys-general to ensure diligent investigation and prosecution.
The human rights lawyer recalled the April 5, 2018 Offa bank robbery attack in Offa, Kwara State where 33 people, including nine police officers, were killed during coordinated attacks on banks and a police station.
Five suspects have been convicted and sentenced to death by the Kwara State High Court in September 2024, with the Court of Appeal affirming the conviction. The SAN, however, noted that further legal controversies have emerged.
He recalled that a N2.1 billion civil suit filed by victims’ families against the Kwara State Government, the Attorney-General of the state, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, and former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.
The suit is reportedly based on confessional statements attributed to an alleged gang leader who claimed political sponsorship of the attack.
Falana also referenced a 2026 criminal charge filed by the state government against Saraki, Ahmed, and others for conspiracy and culpable homicide, and advised that all parties should allow due process to run its course without political interference.
He opined the case has generated renewed attention following a civil suit filed by bereaved families and fresh criminal charges reportedly instituted by the Kwara State Government. The suit is reportedly based on confessional statements attributed to an alleged gang leader who claimed political sponsorship of the attack.
Falana said: “All parties should shield their swords and allow the law to take its course.”
According to him, this became incumbent given the scale of the killings and the pending criminal proceedings.
The case (No. KWS/114C/26) alleged that Saraki and Ahmed, along with other accomplices, were involved in sponsoring or providing weapons to suspects, particularly those convicted in 2024 for the robbery that claimed 33 lives.
The accusations stem from confessions of the convicted robbers, who claimed to be “hitmen” for a political dynasty in the state, allegedly receiving support from the former leaders.
The state alleged that vehicles used in the robbery were previously linked to the Government House and that suspects were connected to the political network of the former leaders.
Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq accused Saraki of hypocrisy regarding insecurity and insisted that the convicts were loyalists to the previous administration.
On April 5, 2018, armed robbers attacked five commercial banks and the Divisional Police Headquarters in Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria, resulting in the deaths of over 30 people, including nine police officers. The attack, which lasted over an hour, involved significant casualties and the use of explosives.
In September 2024, Justice Haleemah Salman of the Kwara State High Court sentenced five suspects—Ayoade Akinnibosun, Azeez Salahudeen, Niyi Ogundiran, Ibikunle Ogunleye, and Adeola Abraham—to death by hanging for armed robbery and culpable homicide.
Convicts initially alleged they had connections to Saraki and Ahmed. As of April 2026, the Kwara State government has filed new 20-count charges against them, linking them to the weapons used in the robbery.
But Saraki in a recent statement denied any involvement in the 2018 Offa robbery incident and described moves to implicate him to the crime as politically motivated and baseless.
He stated that he was compelled to respond following public reactions to what he described as an attempt by the Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to revive allegations against him.