By George Ozalla
The Kwara Governance Reform Group (KGRG) has insisted that due legal process must take its full course in the Offa robbery case, warning that media narratives and political pressure cannot replace trial over a crime that left at least 33 people dead.
The position was made known at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Ilorin, where the group, through Arewa Queen Latifah, addressed journalists on the renewed attention on the case.
KGRG said recent efforts to present the matter as political persecution were misplaced, noting that the call for further investigation did not originate from the Kwara State Government but from the Offa Descendants’ Union (ODU), which had in October 2024 petitioned authorities to probe individuals named during the trial of the convicted robbers.
The group pointed to the judgment of the Kwara State High Court, which convicted and sentenced five suspects to death for their roles in the 2018 Offa robbery, a decision later upheld by the Court of Appeal in Ilorin in January 2026.
It noted that the renewed scrutiny followed references made by members of the robbery gang who have since been convicted by both courts, adding that those named in the course of investigation, including former Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, and two former aides, Olalekan Alabi and Baba Abdulwahab, should submit themselves to the legal process.
KGRG said attempts to turn the issue into a political dispute divert attention from the substance of the allegations and weaken public confidence in the justice system.
The group urged political actors, particularly within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to refrain from framing the matter along partisan lines, warning that such responses risk sending the message that accountability depends on political alignment.
It maintained that the focus should remain on ensuring that every person linked to the case is given the opportunity to answer questions before the law, stressing that the gravity of the crime and the number of lives lost demand nothing less.
KGRG added that tackling violent crime requires a collective commitment to justice, noting that the outcome of the Offa case remains significant for public confidence in law enforcement and the broader fight against criminality in Kwara State.
