* Kwara APC group urges Saraki to go court to clear his name
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
Families of the victims of Offa bank robbery incident in Kwara State have strongly rejected the ongoing narratives towards the politicisation of the tragedy.
Also, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Continuity Mandate Group in the state has urged former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, to go to court to clear his name instead of resorting to media propaganda to defend himself over the charges.
However, speaking at a news conference in Offa Monday, the spokesperson of the families of the victims, Mr. Abdulraheem Babatunde, said: “If the government truly cares about Offa, then the focus must shift from political story telling to real action.”
“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.
“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.”
According to Babatunde, “The events of April 2018 remain one of the darkest moments in our community. Lives were lost. Families were shattered. Our town was thrown into grief and fear.
“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 therefore called on the government to immediately engage with the victims and their families, provide adequate support and compensation and put an end to the politicization of the tragedy in any form.
Meanwhile, some Kwara politicians and statesmen have asked former Senate President 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, the 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 to defend himself over the charges.
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 Mr. 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 noted that there is merit in the charges filed against Saraki, noting that the onus to clear Saraki rests squarely on the court and not the media.
The 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.
“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 anytime 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,” the group said.
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