Families of Victims of Offa Bank Robbery Reject Ongoing Narratives to Politicise Tragedy

• Kwara APC group urges Saraki to clear his name in court

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin                      

Families of the victims of the Offa bank robbery incident in Kwara State have rejected the ongoing narratives towards the politiicisation of the tragedy.

All Progressives Congress (APC) Continuity Mandate Group in the state, also yesterday, urged former Senate President Bukola Saraki to go to court to clear his name instead of resorting to media propaganda to try to defend himself over charges of involvement in the incident.

Speaking at a news conference in Offa yesterday, the spokesperson of the familes of the victims, Mr. Abdulraheem Babatunde, said, “If the government truly cares about Offa, then the focus must shift from political storytelling to real action.”

Babatunde said, “We are not here to create conflict. We are here to demand responsibility. We are here to demand accountability. And we are here to demand respect for the lives that were lost.”

He added, “The victims deserve justice—not silence and the people deserve leadership not repeated narratives without action.

 “Many of the victims and their families—some of whom are here with us today—have received little or no meaningful support.

“No adequate financial assistance. No sustained emotional care. No visible commitment to their recovery. These are people still living with trauma. Still rebuilding their lives—largely on their own.

“The pain of Offa is not a campaign strategy. It is not propaganda material. It must never be used as a weapon for political gain.

“As youths and stakeholders, we call on the government and all political actors to immediately stop using the Offa robbery as an excuse or narrative for elections.”

Babatunde said the events of April 2018 remained among the darkest moments in the community, as lives were lost, and families were shattered, with the town thrown into grief and fear.

He stated, “More painfully, this was not the first time Offa experienced such horror. The April 2018 incident marked the third time our town witnessed a devastating and brutal robbery—each with a similar mode of operation, each leaving behind the loss of security personnel and innocent citizens.

“This is not just history. This is a recurring tragedy. This is our pain. It is therefore deeply disturbing that such a tragedy continues to be used as a political tool – especially during election periods.

“After failing the people of Offa and Kwara State as a whole, it is unacceptable that this tragedy is now being turned into an election strategy. This is something we strongly reject.”

Babatunde called on the government to immediately engage with victims and their families, provide adequate support and compensation, and put an end to the politicisation of the tragedy in any form.

However, foremost Kwara politicians and statesmen asked Saraki to prepare his defence against the charges slammed against him over his link to the Offa armed robbery incident.

In a statement issued on Monday, statesmen, under the umbrella of All Progressives Congress (APC) Continuity Mandate Group in Kwara State, urged Saraki to go to court to clear his name instead of resorting to media propaganda.

The statement was jointly signed by former Chairman of Ilorin East Local Government Area, Alhaji Usman Bibire Ajape, former Minister of Sports, Hon. Issa Bio Ibrahim, and Engr. Jimoh Alao.

They advised Saraki to prepare himself for the court proceedings to clear his name instead of dissipating energy on unnecessary media campaign.

They stated that there was merit in the charges filed against Saraki, saying the onus to clear Saraki rests squarely on the court and not the media.

APC Continuity Mandate Group hailed the state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for mustering the courage to file the charges against Saraki and former Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed, among others.

“This courageous step of Governor AbdulRazaq will ensure justice for the families of the victims of the bloody Offa bank robbery and serve as deterrent to political office holders who think they are above the law when in power,” the statement said.

Ot added, “This group of eminent politicians and community leaders want to say unequivocally that Governor AbdulRazaq has taken the right step in pressing charges against Dr Bukola Saraki and former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed on the 2018 Offa bank robbery.

“While we noticed the sentiment being expressed by some people on the timing of filing the charges against Saraki, we want to submit that justice should always take its course at any time to ensure decorum and public safety.

“As we said earlier, court remains the only place where a suspect can prove his innocence, and therefore, we want to encourage Dr. Saraki to face his trial and defend himself on the allegations levelled against him in court rather than resorting to media propaganda.”