Saraki Slams Abdulrazaq Over Kwara Insecurity, Urges Gov to “Face Responsibility”

Former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has strongly criticized Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, over the rising wave of insecurity in the state, particularly in the Kwara South and North Senatorial Districts, where bandit attacks have reportedly displaced dozens of communities.

In a statement released on Saturday by his media office and signed by his spokesperson, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Dr. Saraki accused Governor Abdulrazaq of incompetence, insensitivity, and attempting to deflect blame by referencing the 2018 Offa robbery incident in connection with the former Senate President.

The statement followed a recent video clip that surfaced from Governor Abdulrazaq’s belated visit to Oke Ode, a town in Ifelodun Local Government Area where bandits reportedly killed 21 people. Saraki’s camp described the governor’s remarks during the visit as “reckless,” alleging that the governor made “false, defamatory, and irresponsible insinuations” about Saraki in relation to the Offa robbery incident.

“It is either insensitivity or a lack of capacity to appreciate and process issues that will make a governor equate the widespread killing, kidnapping, and maiming of people across two of the three senatorial districts with a robbery incident,” the statement read.

According to Saraki’s media office, the situation in Kwara has deteriorated to the extent that residents from over 50 communities have fled their homes due to unrelenting attacks by armed groups. The former Senate President, who recently called national attention to the crisis in a speech in Ilorin, said the governor’s response has been both delayed and inadequate.

The statement added that Governor Abdulrazaq only visited Oke Ode after Saraki raised the alarm and urged both state and federal authorities to act. It also criticized the governor for prioritizing political engagements outside the state while local communities grapple with insecurity.

“It is laughable that a governor whose state witnessed the killing of 21 people in one community took five days before visiting the town, while he had time to travel to Imo State for project commissioning,” it stated.

Saraki also recommended that the state’s security council be expanded to include all first- and second-class traditional rulers to strengthen grassroots engagement in combating insecurity.

Addressing the reference to the Offa robbery made by the governor, Saraki’s media office reiterated that the former Senate President had no involvement in the 2018 incident.

It cited official reports from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in the Federal Ministry of Justice, which reportedly found no evidence linking Saraki to the crime.

“The attempt to revive false allegations from a case long settled by the federal authorities reflects the governor’s desperation to divert attention from his failures,” the statement said.

Saraki’s team further alleged that Governor Abdulrazaq has sponsored legal actions by select family members of the robbery victims in an effort to revive the political controversy. However, the statement noted that other relatives of the victims have publicly distanced themselves from the legal case and warned politicians against exploiting their grief.

“His devious scheme and dirty politics have delayed justice and closure for the victims, their families, and the Offa community,” the statement added.

The former Senate President, who said he would not engage in further political bickering, maintained that his objective remains to draw attention to the escalating violence in Kwara and push the government to act.

“Dr. Saraki is not interested in bandying words with the Kwara State Governor. His call is meant to get the governor to show more empathy for the plight of the people and live up to his responsibility as the state’s chief security officer,” the statement concluded.

As of press time, the Kwara State Government had not issued a formal response to Saraki’s statement.

​  

  • Related Posts

    2027: Muslim Scholars, Clerics, Traditional Rulers Converge on Kwara to Reposition Mosques, Imams for Nation’s Leadership

    2027: Muslim Scholars, Clerics, Traditional Rulers Converge on Kwara to Reposition Mosques, Imams for Nation’s Leadership

    Hammed Shittu in Ilorin 

    Ahead of 2027, renowned scholars, imams, traditional rulers, students and Muslims from different parts of the country have called for a unified Friday sermon across central mosques.

    This, they believe, when properly utilised, mosques could once again produce pious leaders and scholars as they did in the early history of Islam.

    The scholars, Imams and other Muslim leaders stated this at a one-day second annual Imam’s Conference held in Ajase Ipo, Irepodun local government area of Kwara state over the weekend with the theme; “The Mosque, the Imam and Da’wah, organised by Daarus-Sa’aadah Islamic Centre.

    In his lecture on “The Role of the Mosque in Building the Ideal Muslim”, renowned Islamic scholar, Ustadh Dhikrullahi Shafii, said that the mosque is not limited to being a place of prayer.

    According to him, Masjid is historically a centre for decision-making, social welfare, refuge, including treatment of the sick.

    He said that the three aspects of the theme had been largely neglected in contemporary Muslim communities, with negative consequences for the Ummah.

    He described the Imam as the principal of the mosque whose role goes beyond delivering stories.

    “Rather, it requires deep grounding in Qur’an, Hadith, Fiqh and global issues”, Shafii who is the Grand Mufti of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), said.

    He emphasised that no single individual could master all branches of Islamic jurisprudence and, thus, advised Imams and scholars to specialise in particular fields while working together for the benefit of the community.

    The mosque, he noted, must be repositioned to serve the Ummah fully, including the creation of committees to address the needs of children, women, the aged, marriage, naming ceremonies and conflict resolution.

    He said when properly utilised, mosques could once again produce pious leaders and scholars as they did in the early history of Islam.

    Shafii also recommended that the conference should be extended to two or three days in order to deepen its impact, with a communiqué issued and adopted by mosques across the state for implementation.

    In his presentation on “Da’wah without Bitterness: Etiquette of Disagreement in Islam”, Dr. Sirajudeen Bila Al-Asra, underscored the importance of tolerance and humility in preaching.

    He urged scholars and preachers to embody patience and wisdom in resolving disputes, stressing that Islam does not condone bitterness or arrogance in its propagation.

    The Chief Imam of Ajase-Ipo, Shaykh Aliyu Taofeeq Atoloye, who chaired the occasion, said the programme had continued to impact positively on the intellectual and spiritual growth of Imams and scholars.

    He described this year’s theme as timely and noted that participants benefited from the exchange of ideas on how mosques could be harnessed for more than just daily and weekly prayers.

    He added that the conference provided an opportunity for networking among Islamic scholars across the country.

    The monarch called for extension of the programme to three days in order to maximise its benefits, and described it as a blessed exercise that would leave a lasting impact on both scholars and their followers.

    Founder and sponsor of the programme, Alhaja Rahmat Mojisola Salih, a Lagos-based businesswoman, recalled how her journey into philanthropy was inspired by her grandmother, who taught her the value of dedicating part of her daily earnings to the service of the mosque.

    She narrated how, as a child, she spent a portion of her profit from hawking bread and other items to buy items for cleaning the mosque.

    According to her, that early training shaped her conviction to dedicate her wealth to the promotion of Islam and the welfare of society.

    She urged other wealthy individuals to emulate the gesture towards promoting Islam.

    Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, in his goodwill message, described the event as highly educative.

    He appreciated the organisers for championing a noble cause aimed at equipping Imams and scholars with deeper religious knowledge for the advancement of Islam.

    ​  

    Ahead of 2027, renowned scholars, imams, traditional rulers, students and Muslims from different parts of the country have called for a unified Friday sermon across central mosques. This, they believe,

    Imisi Wins BBNaija S10

    Imisi Wins BBNaija S10

    Vanessa Obioha

    Imisi, the eccentric firebrand who kept viewers glued for 70 days with her boldness, dramatic clashes, and seamless switch between posh and local accents, has been crowned winner of the 10th season of the popular reality TV show, Big Brother Naija.

    Born Opeyemi Ayanwale, the Oyo State native was among the 15 ladies who entered the house on the first launch night. Describing herself as a “lone star,” the actor and fashion designer vowed to fight for herself on the show — and she did. Her authenticity and fearless personality quickly won her the audience’s hearts.

    Out of the 29 housemates who began the season, 18 were evicted before the finale. Sabrina exited the show due to health concerns, while Faith was disqualified. For the first time in the show’s history, nine housemates made it to the final night.

    The live finale opened with music star Adekunle Gold, who thrilled the audience with a medley of hits including Coco Money. Other performers of the night included Iyanya.

    After Big Brother addressed the finalists one last time, the host, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, began the eviction process. One after another, Kaybobo, Isabella, Mensan, Jason Jae, Kola, Sultana, and Koyin were evicted, leaving Imisi and Dede as the top two finalists.

    “I’m so excited. I never saw myself in the top two. I can’t even express myself. I’m overwhelmed, so happy,” said an emotional Imisi.

    “I don’t know,” said Dede. “I’m so blessed to be here.”

    As the season’s winner, Imisi takes home the grand prize of ₦150 million. Unlike previous editions, the 10/10 season required housemates to earn their rewards, a clear nod to Netflix’s Korean hit, ‘Squid Game.’

    The season also introduced new twists, including the Trinket Tree, which allowed Heads of House to save or nullify nominations, and the Head of House Challenger, where the coveted title had to be defended.

    ​  

    Vanessa Obioha Imisi, the eccentric firebrand who kept viewers glued for 70 days with her boldness, dramatic clashes, and seamless switch between posh and local accents, has been crowned winner

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Business & Economy

    OPEC+ approves modest oil output increase for November 

    NAICOM says over 1.47 million farmers covered under agricultural insurance  

    AI strategy: NITDA says Nigeria co-creating framework with innovators, startups 

    Nigerians need ‘37.6 days’ income to afford a plane ticket – Report  

    Best performing Nigerian stocks for the week ended October 3, 2025 

    Bitcoin price surges to all-time high above $125,000

    New tax laws provide clarity, not higher burden on crypto traders – Taiwo Oyedele 

    Bitcoin surges to all-time high, crosses $125K 

    Meet 10 Diasporan Nigerians who have built multimillion dollar businesses 

    Lagos shuts Itedo Market in Lekki over environmental violations

    AMCON: A Lifeline Lender or Permanent Burden?

    Chinese firm CteeC, Ogun State partner to build 3MW power plant, industrial park

    Mayor of Atlanta applauds Fidelity FNITCC Conference 

    Chapel Hill Denham dominates NGX brokerage charts of top 10 firms in weekly trading 

    ‘Winning with Strategic Communications’ set to bridge the gap between theory, practice

    Zedcrest Wealth launches the “Make Accounts Great Again” campaign to redefine wealth management 

    Electricity Act: FOCPEN refutes claim 24 states backtracked on reforms

    Traffic index 2025 shows Nigeria tops global congestion ranking 

    NEXIM Bank travel expenses surge 4,500% to N3.9bn in 2024 

    Nollywood’s $6.4 billion industry at risk without stronger IP laws – EbonyLife lawyer 

    FCCPC approves the sale of Chivita|Hollandia to UAC of Nigeria PLC 

    Infinix bags double awards at Marketing Edge 2025 Awards 

    How to move to Canada as a tech worker in 2025

    AI startups dominate global VC funding in 2025 with $192.7 billion  

    Top 10 Nigerian stocks with the biggest investor returns in Q3 2025

    Nigeria’s business confidence rises to 107.9 points in September  

    10 Lagos markets to buy wholesale clothing for your business 

    FG Seeks Patronage for Local Auto Manufacturers, Endorses Nord Motors

    Spiro Nigeria Fuels Innovation as Official Sponsor of E1 Grand Prix in Lagos

    LCCI Auto Symposium Beams Searchlight on Non-passage of NAIDP Into Law

    Tax Reforms: Tasks Ahead of Businesses, Finance Professionals

    Aspira Addresses Evolving Laundry Needs with New Product Launch

    JMG Renews Commitment to Economic Growth

    Joke Aliu: Legal Excellence Tool for National Development

    LASERC Issues Distribution Licences To Excel DisCo, IE Energy Lagos Ltd

    Wema Bank share capital rises 66% with 14.1 billion shares listing on NGX