•Women organise prayers
A GROUP under the aegis of Association of Offa Indigenes Home and Abroad yesterday staged a peaceful procession in support of the police high command on the alleged indictment of Senate President Bukola Saraki by suspects in the Offa robbery incident.
The group’s protests came a day after some youths took to the streets in Ilorin and Offa to stage peaceful rallies in in support of Saraki.
Yesterday’s precession took off at Iyeru-Okin LEGA Primary School, through Ibrahim Taiwo Road to Idi-Ogun, via Olofa Way and terminated at Eid Praying Ground in Offa.
The protesters passed through Owode Market and converged on palace of the Olofa of Offa.
Spokesperson for the association Muideen Babalola said: “In whatever we do, our past has a way of catching up with us like a dodging shadow. God has answered our prayers in Offa. Our cries have been heard. The whole world has seen it all and our prayers are that ‘justice must prevail.”
Another speaker at the event, Prince Femi Whyte, said: “In the course of the police investigation, some top politicians were mentioned to be remotely connected to the robbery incident in Offa.
“But to our dismay and sadness these politicians mobilised some political jobbers to protest in their favour to jeopardise the ongoing investigation by the police.”
The Asalofa of Offa, Chief Isiaka Shittu, who received the protesters on behalf of the monarch, Oba Muftau Gbaramosi, assured of conveying the message to the monarch who was not around.
He hailed the peaceful manner with the association members comported themselves.
Also in Ilorin, scores of women organised a special prayer, asking God to grant the Bukola Saraki victory in his present travails in the hands of the Nigeria Police Force.
The women recited verses from the holy Qur’an and prayed fevently to God to protect the Senate President whom they described as their benefactor.
Speaking after the prayer session, the group’s leader Hajia Ramat Oganija said they resorted to prayer because they were convinced that Saraki who they said was being implicated in the recent Offa bank robbery incident, “cannot hurt a fly “.
She said Saraki had encouraged entrepreneurship by empowering women and youths in the state to be economically self-reliance.
Hajia Oganija said that the news of “the invitation of our God-given leader and benefactor Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, the president of the senate by the police over the recent Offa robbery attacks came to us a rude shock.
“We were and still shocked by the development because over the years we have known our leader, Dr Bukola Saraki as a compassionate and kind-hearted man who could not hurt a fly. Our leader abhors violence in all its ramifications.”
She added: “Just like every right-thinking individuals, we, women of Kwara State see the police latest action as nothing but a fresh plot by the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force, Abuja to implicate the President of the Senate in the April 5, 2018 dastardly armed robbery attacks on banks in Offa.”
Also, the Offspring Descendents Union (ODU) urged the police to do a thorough investigation on the Offa robbery case.
In a statement by the National President and Secretary-General of the union Alhaji Najimdeen Usman Yasin Hajia (Chief) Mrs. Wosilat Tinuke Macarthy said: “While we do not want to prejudice the ongoing investigation by the police on this case, the community will appreciate thoroughness to ensure equity and Justice on the matter.
She said: “Dr. Bukola Saraki, a two-term former governor of this state and the President of the Senate Of this country has always considered Offa as a second home. The Offa people are well bred citizens and are always appreciate of kind gesture and immeasurable benevolence. The community therefore holds the Senate President in high esteem however, this is not to distract or disturb the investigation by the police.
“Considering the sensitive nature of this matter, the community will appreciate if all the social media and media outfits would validate all reports before dissemination.”
