Offa Robbery: Victims’ Families, Supporters Rally Over Renewed Allegations Against Saraki

Families of victims of the 2018 Offa bank robbery and supporters of former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, have staged a rally in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, rejecting renewed allegations seeking to link him to the deadly incident. The protesters, including members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) youth wing and relatives of some victims, […]

Families of victims of the 2018 Offa bank robbery and supporters of former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, have staged a rally in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, rejecting renewed allegations seeking to link him to the deadly incident.

The protesters, including members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) youth wing and relatives of some victims, marched through major streets.

They later converged at the forecourt of the palace of the Emir of Ilorin, where they accused political actors of reviving an issue they said had been investigated and concluded.

Some bereaved relatives who joined the protest said they could not remain silent while, in their view, their pain was being dragged into political controversy.

A widow who lost her husband in the attack, Habeebat Sanni, said Saraki had no connection with the robbery and urged the government to focus on governance rather than reopening old wounds.

“We know Saraki and we know he knows nothing about this incident. The government should stop politicising our pains because it is something we also remember with tears. God will give us a government that will put food on our table. We are tired”, she said.

Another victim, Hussein Aditu, who said he lost his 27-year-old son in the robbery, described attempts to associate Saraki with the attack as painful and unjustified.

“The same Saraki they are trying to accuse was the person that came to Offa, identified with us and took steps that contributed to the arrest of the criminals,” he said.

“How would he now be the accused? Do they always want to renew our pain every four years? That is why I came to tell the world Saraki knows nothing about it”, he added.

He said victims had not been drawn into similar debates by previous administrations and questioned why the issue was resurfacing years after the incident.

Addressing protesters at the rally, Kwara PDP Youth Leader, Adio Odunjo, said the renewed narratives around the Offa robbery were politically motivated and should be withdrawn in the interest of peace.

According to him, the matter had passed through investigation and legal processes, leaving no basis for renewed accusations.

“The Offa robbery case was thoroughly investigated by the police. Legal advice made it clear there was no evidence linking Dr Bukola Saraki to the incident directly or indirectly,” he said.

“Suspects were charged, trials were conducted and judgments were delivered and upheld on appeal. So what exactly is this government trying to achieve now?”, he queried.

Odunjo said the protest was not about shielding anyone from scrutiny, but resisting an attempt to weaponise a painful tragedy for political ends.

“This is not about justice. This is about politics. You may oppose Saraki politically, that is democracy. But to attempt to smear his name with matters he has been legally cleared of is unacceptable”, he said.

He urged Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to tread carefully, warning against actions capable of escalating tension in the state.

“Leadership demands responsibility, restraint and respect for institutions and heritage,” he said.

The April 2018 robbery in Offa left scores dead, including police personnel, and remains one of the most traumatic security incidents in the state.