Kwara: Offa community petitions Tinubu over insecurity, marginalisation

The Indigenous People of Offa in Kwara State have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in what they described as rising insecurity and neglect of their community under the current administration in the state.

In an open letter made available to The Guardian and signed by Alhaji Adisa Abdulkareem on behalf of the Ogala Compound of Offa, the community lamented the abduction of seven of its members who were kidnapped on April 20, 2025, while travelling from Abuja to Offa through the Obo-Ajegunle–Osi road.

The letter to the President noted that no meaningful response or support had come from the Kwara State Government since the abduction. ”

Since that day, they have neither returned nor has any governmental concern been shown. Not a press release, not a condolence, not a visit—nothing,” the community stated.

The abductors were said to have initially demanded ₦140 million in ransom, which was negotiated down to ₦14 million with additional items through community efforts. However, the victims were reportedly not released, and the abductors later insisted on the original amount.

The community contrasted this with the state’s response to a similar incident involving government officials.

The letter added, “Just seven days after our people’s abduction, on Sunday, April 27, 2025, two government officials—the DPM and Head of Legal from Oke-Ero Local Government Area—were abducted on the same road. Unlike our people, the state moved swiftly. Arrangements were made, and the officials were released in less than 72 hours.”

The letter also raised concerns over what the community described as systemic marginalisation of Southern Kwara, particularly Offa, under Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s administration. It cited the lack of significant developmental projects in the region despite their historical support for the administration, especially during the #Otoge movement.

“Since the inception of this administration in Kwara State, no single significant project has been executed in Southern Kwara,” the letter claimed. “While Kwara Central boasts of monumental developments such as two overhead bridges, a state-of-the-art innovation hub, garment factory, and expansive road reconstruction projects, Southern Kwara has little or nothing to point at.”

The group expressed frustration over what it views as discriminatory treatment. “We beg Your Excellency, as the father of the nation and the bearer of renewed hope, to help us ask Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq one question: Why does our pain mean nothing?”

Appealing for federal intervention, the community asked for justice, fairness, and inclusion. “We want to feel like citizens of Kwara, not strangers in our own land.”

President Tinubu signed the 2025 budget into law in January, with a record N54.99 trillion appropriation, but communities like Offa continue to raise questions about local implementation and inclusiveness.