Kwara drags Saraki to court over alleged defamation

The Kwara State Government has filed a criminal defamation suit against former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, accusing him of making false claims about the educational background of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

The case, instituted before the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin, was filed by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Senior Ibrahim, alongside the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ayoola Akande, and Assistant Chief State Counsel, B.L. Abdulsalam.

The matter came up on Wednesday before Justice M.O. Folorunso.

According to court documents, the government alleged that Saraki, on April 17, 2026, published and circulated statements through social media and newspaper platforms claiming that AbdulRazaq did not attain secondary school education.

The prosecution argued that the publication was false, malicious and intended to bring the governor and the state government into disrepute.

It further alleged that the statements contained insulting and abusive expressions capable of provoking public unrest and disturbing public peace, contrary to Section 399 of the Penal Code, Cap. P4, Laws of Kwara State, 2006.

At the proceedings, prosecuting counsel, R.O. Balogun, urged the court to issue a bench warrant against Saraki, arguing that the former Senate president failed to appear despite being served with the court processes.

“The defendant was duly served but failed to appear before the court. We, therefore, urge Your Lordship to issue a bench warrant to compel his attendance,” Balogun submitted.

He also opposed an application for adjournment filed by the defence, maintaining that the prosecution was ready to proceed with the case.

However, Saraki’s lawyer, Jimoh Mumini (SAN), challenged both the jurisdiction of the court and the validity of the service of the processes on his client.

“This matter falls within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court. In addition, the defendant was not properly served with the processes relied upon by the prosecution,” Mumini argued.

After hearing submissions from both sides and standing down the matter for about two hours, Justice Folorunso ruled that the defendant was entitled to seek an adjournment and fixed July 3, 2026, for the hearing of the preliminary objection and possible arraignment.

The PUNCH reports that the latest suit deepens the legal confrontation between the AbdulRazaq administration and Saraki.

Earlier on April 9, the state government filed a separate 20-count charge against Saraki, former Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, and two former aides over allegations relating to the arming of suspects convicted in connection with the 2018 Offa robbery attacks.

The other defendants in that case are Yusuf Abdulwahab, a former Chief of Staff to Ahmed, and Alabi Olalekan.

Responding to the earlier charges, Saraki denied any link to armed robbery or other criminal activities and insisted that previous investigations had cleared him of wrongdoing.

“I have nothing to do directly or indirectly with any case of armed robbery or any criminal matter,” Saraki said in a statement he personally signed.

The former Senate President maintained that he had been exonerated by both the police and the Director of Public Prosecutions in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, describing the prosecution as politically motivated.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by his media office, Saraki said his lawyers, led by Mumini (SAN), appeared before the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin to challenge the suit filed over a social media post he made on April 17, 2026, in response to an earlier statement by the state government.

The case arose from allegations that Saraki’s comments on Facebook and X questioned the educational qualifications of Governor AbdulRazaq and amounted to criminal defamation and cyberbullying.

According to the statement issued by the Press Officer on Local Matters, Abubakar Bukola Saraki Media Office, Abdulkadir Abdulganiy, Saraki’s legal team, led by Mumini, maintained that the social media posts in question constituted a legitimate exercise of freedom of expression and a right of reply.

“Dr Saraki’s post on Facebook and X being complained of were mere exercises of his freedom of speech and right of reply, as the leader of the opposition to Governor Abdulrazaq’s political party,” the statement said.

It wondered why Saraki’s social media post could constitute criminal defamation and cyberbullying against the governor.

The statement noted, “We note that it is a recurring decimal for the Kwara governor to seek to use the courts to harass and intimidate the leaders of opposition in the state any time they make any comment against the policies and actions of his administration.

“We believe that, like his earlier efforts to abuse the judicial process to silence the opposition, this case will fall like a pack of badly arranged cards.

“We note that the Kwara State government believes the alleged defamatory social media post deserves more attention than the issue of acute insecurity plaguing the state, in which two of the three senatorial districts in the state have become a den of kidnappers, bandits, and insurgents.

“Also, the case of 176 people kidnapped from the Woro community in the northern part of the state who have been in captivity since early February is taking a back seat behind the issue of a social media post, which the governor’s handlers believed was unpleasant to him.

“Today, we noticed that the governor and his handlers mobilised the media and their supporters to the court premises. We believe the energy and resources deployed to achieve that could have been better utilised as part of the resources to secure the release of the captives in the kidnappers’ den across the state.

“We have mentioned these more sensitive alternatives that require the attention of Governor AbdulRazaq and his government instead of dissipating resources on the impact of words that he exchanged with the opposition leader in the state to demonstrate that the court case is just another diversionary tactic.”

It added, “Dr Saraki continues to retain his confidence in the Nigerian judiciary and its ability to do justice to all parties, in all cases and situations.

“That is why his lawyers will also continue to defend his position and strongly put forward his case before the court on all matters, including this case arising from a social media post.”

The former Senate President appealed to his supporters across the state and beyond to remain calm and law-abiding.

He assured them that all the oppressive tactics aimed at intimidating and silencing him would come to nought.