Offa Robbery: Victims’ Families Drag Kwara Govt to Court, Demand N2.1b Compensation
The families of victims who lost their lives in the tragic 2018 Offa robbery have filed a lawsuit in the Ilorin High Court, seeking a total of N2.1 billion in compensation from the Kwara State government. The claimants, including Abraham Oluwafemi Makinde, Lateef Taiye Raheem, Adeshina Felemo Ayesanmi, and Monsurat Aramide Adebayo, accuse state officials of complicity in the brutal attack that occurred on April 5, 2018, at the Owode Police Station and multiple banks in Offa.
Among the defendants listed in the case are Kwara State Governor, the Attorney-General of the state, former Senate President Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, and former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.
Court documents reveal that the claimants allege the state government played a role in the robbery, claiming that crucial evidence was concealed at the Government House during the administration of Governor Ahmed. Additionally, they point to confessions made by convicted robber Ayoade Akinnibosun (also known as AY), who reportedly identified Saraki and Ahmed as the political sponsors behind the attackers, referring to them as political thugs who had disrupted elections on behalf of their political benefactors.
The plaintiffs argue that this connection emboldened the robbers and fueled their attack, which resulted in the loss of over 35 lives, including both police officers and civilians. Among the victims was Grace, a pregnant police officer killed in the robbery, whose husband, Makinde, is one of the claimants. Raheem, another claimant, lost his brother, Fatai, the family’s breadwinner, leaving behind two wives, five children, and elderly parents. Ayesanmi, the son of the late ASP Ayesanmi, and Adebayo, the widow of Kaseem, a murdered bank employee, are also part of the legal action.
Represented by Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) J.J. Usman, Yakubu Philemon, M.I. Abubakar, and A.O.F. Philip, the families seek N1.5 billion in compensation, N500 million in general damages, and N100 million for legal fees.
