KWARA, Nigeria – The families of those killed in the infamous 2018 Offa robbery have filed a lawsuit at the Ilorin High Court, seeking N2.1 billion in damages from the Kwara State government.
The claimants Abraham Oluwafemi Makinde, Lateef Taiye Raheem, Adeshina Felemo Ayesanmi, and Monsurat Aramide Adebayo accuse the government, as well as former Senate President Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, of having political connections to the criminals involved in the attack, reports SaharaReporters.
The victims’ families contend that their loved ones were among the more than 35 people killed during the deadly robbery on April 5, 2018, at the Owode Police Station and multiple banks in Offa.
In their legal suit, they argue that the Kwara State government, along with Saraki and Ahmed, should be held accountable for facilitating the crime.
Court documents reveal that the claimants allege the state government’s complicity in the robbery, claiming that stolen goods were concealed at the Government House during Ahmed’s tenure.
They also point to confessions made by the convicted robbers, who have reportedly linked Saraki and Ahmed to their political activities.
As stated by one of the convicts, Ayoade Akinnibosun (alias AY), the robbers were political thugs used to disrupt elections when their sponsors were unsuccessful at the polls.
The families believe these political ties emboldened the attackers, leading to the deadly assault, which left numerous victims, including police officers and civilians, dead.
Makinde, one of the claimants, disolosed that his wife, Grace, a pregnant police officer, was among those killed.
Raheem, another claimant, stated that his brother, Fatai, the family’s primary breadwinner, was murdered, leaving behind elderly parents, two wives, and five children.
Also seeking justice are Ayesanmi, the son of the late ASP Ayesanmi, and Adebayo, the widow of Kaseem, a bank employee killed in the robbery.
The families are being represented by Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) J.J. Usman, Yakubu Philemon, M.I. Abubakar, and A.O.F. Philip.
In total, they are demanding N1.5 billion in compensation, N500 million in general damages, and N100million for legal expenses.
