The Youth for Democracy and Change (YDC) in Kwara State has lauded the state government under Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for ensuring the families of the victims of the unfortunate 2018 Offa robbery, which claimed over 30 lives get justice on Thursday, September 26, 2024.
The group recalled that during the cause of the investigation of the calamitous robbery, the suspects now convicts, multiple evidence revealed that the five gang leaders had direct connections with Dr Bukola Saraki, who was then the senate president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and leader of Kwara PDP.
For instance, YDC said the robbers who were sentenced to death by hanging yesterday were seen in Mr Saraki’s daughter’s wedding ceremony and wearing ‘Aso-Ebi’ like other Sarakites as the former governor’s ardent followers are called. One of the vehicles also used for the operations was also linked to the former senate president.
The group also condemned Mr Saraki and his followers’ reactions to the judgment. In the press statement made available to journalists in Ilorin on Friday, YDC’s Director of Media and Publicity, Abdulbaki Kure said Saraki has not made any comments since the verdict, giving credence to the convicts’ connections confessions.
YDC also blasted Saraki’s followers for expressing their dissatisfaction over the court judgement and showing solidarity with the convicted robbers. The group said this is a clear indication that the former senate president and his followers were party to the unfortunate incident that claimed 33 lives in Offa.
“First of all, we want to appreciate the Kwara State government under Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq CON for ensuring the families of the victims of the 2018 Offa robbery get justice. Even though it was after six years, we appreciate the Governor Abdulrazaq-led government for choosing to be the voice of the oppressed.
“In the wake of Thursday’s verdict, we want the state government to try former Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed, his Personal Assistant Political, Alabi Olalekan and Yusuf Abdulwahab, his former Chief-of-Staff who were indicted by numerous evidence in the course of the investigation into the unfortunate incident that claimed the lives of 33 innocent residents of Offa and destroyed up to five banks and police stations.
“Bringing someone like Mr Saraki to book will not only serve as a lesson to the people in his class who use their positions to afflict others but also prevent them from continuously walking the path knowing that one of them has been convicted. This is the only way Kwarans and Nigerians at large will believe justice is well served in the case of the unfortunate Offa robbery.
“We also condemn Mr Saraki’s silence since the verdict. This shows that the criminals were his boys and confirmed the veracity of the evidence against him. Like Saraki, his followers also display their ignorance and heartlessness for expressing unfounded solidarity with the gang leaders who wasted innocent lives.
“We’ll appreciate if necessary actions are taken as to Mr Bukola Saraki, who will be moving freely while multiple pieces of evidence have indicted him and how he had connections with the criminals.”
