By Oso Abidemi
The people of Offa in Kwara State have raised a desperate alarm, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to rescue them from rising insecurity and what they described as chronic neglect by the state government.
In an open letter signed by Alhaji Adisa Abdulkareem, the community recounted the abduction of seven of its residents on April 20, 2025, along the Obo-Ajegunle–Osi road while returning from Abuja.
The victims remain in captivity weeks after, with no intervention from the Kwara State Government.
“We have seen no action, no visit, not even a word of concern,” the letter lamented, accusing Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of indifference.
Though the kidnappers initially demanded ₦140 million, a reduced ₦14 million offer was negotiated by the community, yet the victims remain in chains as abductors reverted to their initial demand.
The community drew a stark contrast between its case and the swift rescue of two government officials kidnapped just a week later in Oke-Ero. They were freed within 72 hours.
Offa’s people also accused the administration of sidelining Southern Kwara in development efforts, despite their early and vocal support for the #Otoge political movement that helped usher in the current regime.
“Why does our pain mean nothing?” the letter asked the President, decrying the absence of a single meaningful project in the region under the present government.
The community is demanding federal intervention, justice, and a sense of belonging in their own state, insisting they can no longer accept to be treated as second-class citizens in Kwara.
