“…security experts should not concentrate investigation on the herdsmen or Kidnappers alone, they need to look at the possibility of an arm twisting strategy to force Offa to give full support to the Odua nation agitation led by Igboho group”
The sad incident of the killing of a pregnant woman and the abduction of her husband by yet to be identified gunmen in Offa, Kwara State on Saturday has thrown the community into sober, but with the strident call by a section of the town that the law agencies should dig deeply in unravelling the criminals and their motives.
The incident had triggered brickbats and protest by some residents of Offa, who stormed the Olofa of Offa’s palace demanding the rescue and release of the captive.
Many people believe that there had been premeditated unsavoury coincidences in the short time Olofa made his position known on the issue of the Fulanis in his domain.
Olofa, in a video that widely circulated recently, had given the Fulanis in his community a leeway on residency, claiming the historical bond that existed between Offa and other tribes. His media aide, Babatunde Odidere, would later explain the full import of the video. ”What Olofa meant is that Offa became a cosmopolitan community that it is today by the accommodation it gave to all nations and tribes- Hausa, Nupe, Ibo, Fulani, Yoruba, including the Oyinbos in our early years. They all have been part of our growth”.
“This is what Kabiyesi is saying. That there are Hausa and Fulani communities here. He is saying that because of the transgression of certain breeds that came from God-knows-where, he cannot drive away those who have been part of the community for ages.
“And by the way, Olofa has no axe to grind with Sunday Igboho or any agitator of any kind. Can Offa deny his yorubaness?” He queried.
However, an indigene of the community, Suleiman Mukaila believes there is a correlation between the Saturday’s incident, Olofa’s stance and the Yoruba Nation’s agitators. Writing on a whatsApp platform, Mukaila, said: “The recent insecurity challenges in Offa need to be strategically looked into. We need to look into different angles: the suspected herdsmen angles, the Oduduwa nation angle and armed robbery/kidnappers angle.
“Just recently, Offa was in the news for a perceived opposition to Oduduwa nation being championed by Sunday Igboho. Not quite long after the statement by the Olofa of Offa, we heard of an attack by a suspected herdsmen on a farm land.
“Also, just a day after the news of restriction on demonstration by the Sunday Igboho group in Offa, we heard of another attack by suspected herdsmen. With all these happening shortly after the perceived opposition to the Igboho group, our security experts should not concentrate investigation on the herdsmen or Kidnappers alone, they need to look at the possibility of an arm twisting strategy to force Offa to give full support to the Odua nation agitation led by Igboho group.
The umbrella body of the town’s union, Offa Descendants Union, while sympathizing with the family of the deceased, described the incident as “horrible and despicable”, urging the security operatives to rise to the occasion “to rescue Mr. Ibrahim and also get the kidnappers arrested for prosecution to serve as deterrent to other criminally minded people”
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