Community leaders clash over Offa robbery judgement, ODU chairman accused of political maneuvering

The 2018 Offa bank robbery, which claimed 33 lives, continues to stir tensions in Kwara State following recent developments, as community leaders clash over the handling of the case.

The Offa Descendants Union (ODU), led by Chairman Alhaji Olanrewaju Shittu, recently called for further investigations into the crime.

In a press conference held by the ODU, Shittu emphasized the need for “complete justice,” claiming that certain individuals named by the convicted robbers during the trial—allegedly responsible for supplying weapons and logistics—were not adequately addressed in the judgment.

Shittu stressed that the community believes key figures involved in the operation, including those responsible for vehicles and weapons, had been overlooked in the court’s decision.

“This is Offa’s unnegotiable demand for justice,” he said, calling on the police and the state government to re-open investigations.

This call, however, sparked a significant backlash from the Offa Koya – Offa Kowosi Group, a faction within the community that opposes the ODU leadership’s stance.

The group, led by Kunle Afolayan, held their own press conference, where they accused Shittu of using the ODU platform for personal political gain.

Afolayan alleged that Shittu’s push for further investigation was not in the community’s interest but rather driven by his political ambitions—specifically, a rumored bid for a House of Representatives seat in 2027.

“The recent sentencing was a form of justice long awaited by the community,” Afolayan stated, referring to the Kwara State High Court’s ruling last week, which sentenced five men—Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salahudeen Azeez, and Niyi Ogundiran—to death by hanging for their roles in the robbery.

The group argued that the police had conducted a thorough investigation, bringing much-needed closure to the families of the victims.

They also called for Shittu’s resignation, accusing him of trying to exploit the tragic incident for political mileage.

This dispute has reignited past controversies involving former Senate President Bukola Saraki, whose name was dragged into the case in 2018 when convicted gang members confessed to being his political thugs, allegedly supplied with weapons and logistics.

Though Saraki denied any involvement, the allegations have resurfaced multiple times, particularly after the mysterious death of ex-policeman Michael Adikwu, a key suspect, in police custody.

During the ongoing trial, witnesses claimed that police officers, under the leadership of DCP Abba Kyari, had attempted to coerce them into implicating Saraki.

One suspect alleged that Kyari offered him N10 million and a visa to any country of his choice to link Saraki to the crime. Another witness testified that the police shot one of the suspects in the leg when he refused to cooperate.

Despite these allegations, the Ministry of Justice has stated that it could not find any direct link between Saraki and the Offa robbers, though it recommended further investigation.

The police, however, maintain that Saraki has questions to answer, citing photographs of some suspects at Saraki’s daughter’s wedding as evidence of their connection.

The political fallout from the robbery case contributed to Saraki’s loss of political standing in Kwara State.

Now, six years later, the final judgment has not implicated him, with the convicted robbers sentenced to death.

As political tensions rise once again, the Offa community remains divided over the true motives behind the call for further investigations.