KWARA KILLINGS: AbdulRazaq, Saraki in heated exchange
The recent verbal conflict between Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and former Senate president, Bukola Saraki stems from worsening insecurity in Kwara State, particularly a surge in banditry and killings across the Kwara South and North Senatorial Districts.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State, led by Saraki, accused Governor AbdulRazaq of failing to address the escalating banditry crisis, especially after a deadly attack in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area, which resulted in numerous deaths, including vigilante members.
Saraki’s media office described the governor’s response to the crisis as “incompetent, insensitive, irresponsible, clueless, and unresponsive”. They highlighted that residents from over 50 communities have been forced to abandon their homes due to the attacks.
Saraki also criticized the governor for allegedly delaying his visit to Oke-Ode after the massacre, instead prioritizing political engagements outside the state. He urged the governor to expand the state’s Security Council to include traditional rulers for more effective community engagement in tackling insecurity.
Reaction to Saraki
In response, Governor AbdulRazaq’s special adviser on media, Bashir Adigun, traced the current insecurity to the 2018 Offa bank robbery, which he described as a “national tragedy”.
He accused the PDP of attempting to “trivialise the blood-soaked tragedy” and “whitewash the dark legacy of 16 years of PDP misrule”.
AbdulRazaq directly linked Saraki to the Offa robbery, claiming the criminals had “undeniable links with their political godfather” and used vehicles with Saraki’s personalized plate numbers.
He argued that Saraki and the PDP lacked the moral authority to criticize his administration’s handling of security, given what he termed their “bloody legacy”. The governor also mentioned that the culprits of the Offa robbery have since been sentenced to death and that Saraki is currently facing a civil case filed by the victims’ families.
Saraki’s media office vehemently denied any involvement in the Offa robbery, citing reports from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) of the Federation in 2018, which stated there was no evidence linking him to the incident.
They further alleged that Governor AbdulRazaq is sponsoring a civil case by some Offa robbery victims’ families to embarrass Saraki, a claim that some victims’ relatives and the “Offa Koya, Offa Kowosi” group have publicly distanced themselves from. Saraki’s camp views the governor’s remarks as a “reckless” attempt to deflect attention from his administration’s failures in securing the state.
The escalating violence in Kwara State has seen communities in both Kwara North and South under siege, with reports of kidnappings, killings, and disruptions to socio-economic activities.
The Nigerian Air Force has deployed fighter jets, and the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division of the Nigerian Army has been directed to relocate to Kwara to coordinate military response. Neighboring states like Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo have also expressed concern and activated containment strategies to prevent infiltration by bandits.