Offa Bloodbath: Nigerians direct anger at SARS over brutal robbery attack
No fewer than ten persons were killed in a brazenly callous armed robbery attack in Offa Local government area of Kwara State on Thursday.
The armed robbers, numbering about thirty, struck in a coordinated attack on at least five banks in the area.
They proceeded to Owode police station and rained bullets on policemen.
Young, old, women, and men were killed in the attacks. In some quarters, figures of the victims ranged between 20 and 40.
Gruesome images of the victims have been circulating on social media since the incident.
Senate president Bukola Saraki reacted to the troubling attack, calling it “despicable” and pledging that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.
Nigerians, who are rightly peeved by the incident, have accused men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of not getting their priorities right.
Nigerians say the police unit was only efficient in harassing innocent citizens across the country.
They lamented that all through the robbery operation which was said to have lasted for hours, SARS operatives were nowhere in sight.
“So armed robbers comfortably killed people, Robbed 5 banks, yes FIVE in Offa, Kwara state. my question is where was the Anti Robbery squad, Armed Policemen and SARS?,” one person queried.
So armed robbers comfortably killed people, Robbed 5 banks, yes FIVE in Offa, Kwara state. my question is where was the Anti Robbery squad, Armed Policemen and SARS?. #PrayForOffa
— Slay King ? (@deoluajao) April 6, 2018
Another person, Uthman, wondered where the anti-robbery operatives were at the time of the incident, saying, “I don’t understand how they were able to rob 5 banks successfully in Offa without Police/SARS intervening.”
I don’t understand how they were able to rob 5 banks successfully in Offa without Police/SARS intervening.
1 2 3 4 5 tearssssss.
— #FUNAABwitches (@uthman_waxcav) April 6, 2018
Qudus said, “Beating young 9ja guys is the only crime scene SARS can be found. Robbery in Offa at 5 banks, 1 2 3 4 5 banks!! SARS was no where to found.”
Also miffed by the consistent harassment of innocent persons by SARS operatives, particularly in the area of the incident, Jeffrey said: “Let me get this straight PoliceNG, so SARS that you’ve refused to scrap, that relentlessly harass young men in Offa and Ilorin, were on duty and nearly 40 people were killed by armed robbers hitting five banks?”
See more reactions to the brutal killings of residents by the armed robbers:
Let me get this straight @PoliceNG, so SARS that you’ve refused to scrap, that relentlessly harass young men in Offa and Ilorin, were on duty and nearly 40 people were killed by armed robbers hitting five banks?
— – jeffrey (@VillageParrot) April 6, 2018
Beating young 9ja guys is the only crime scene SARs can be found. Robbery in Offa at 5 banks, 1 2 3 4 5 banks!! SARs was no where to found.
— Alfa Qudus (@Asuduq) April 5, 2018
I’m a regular visitor to offa town in kwara state, SARS officials are visible everywhere & always harass unnecessarily. The question is; where were they when an army of thieves invaded the town & rob 1,2,3,4,5 banks.. 5!!. Shot several civilians dead
This is saddening!! #offa
— RPG (@ATM_ReGe) April 6, 2018
Highlight of all what happened yesterday at Offa.
credit:@agwo_kingsley#PrayForOffapic.twitter.com/ixLkl8EdeX
— Omope Abdulazeez (@Iam_Abdulaxis) April 6, 2018
This pictures and video from the Offa robbery of yesterday are too bad ??♂️
This country is not worth it Walahi.. imagine 5 banks getting robbed successfully & lots of lives getting lost in a state filled with SARS officials
— Olayinka (@GalacticoHD) April 6, 2018
Those sons of bitches called SARS arrested me last week at Sango, Ilorin last week and were asking why I wasn’t holding my ” browsing phone ” and still paid 5k for not ” holding it ” But robbery over an hour in offa and they don’t have fuel inside Patrol Vehicle ..Aye yin ma baje
— Vladimir Jugovic (@Datcapitan) April 6, 2018
You see when we said #EndSARS, we knew exactly what we were talking about. There’s no way in this world that SARS officers will not be anywhere close-by during that Offa robbery. They probably were part of the robbery or they simply were busy searching people’s phones.
— Demola (@OmoGbajaBiamila) April 6, 2018
The only thing I know about offa is that the sars must stop your coming from osun to kwara, and yesterday was so brutal that non of them could show up, more than 500 SARS in kwara state , over 100 in offa…? @bukolasaraki Sir what is the need?
— Ogundare Festus (@OgundareFestus) April 6, 2018
