According to Punch, the Kwara State Government has confirmed receiving a petition from the Offa community urging the prosecution of individuals believed to be connected to the April 5, 2018, Offa bank robbery. The petition follows the recent sentencing of five suspects involved in the deadly robbery that left at least 32 people dead, including nine police officers.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mallam Rafiu Ajakaye, disclosed the petition's receipt during the second-quarter Kwara State Ministerial Cabinet press briefing. The briefing, coordinated by the State Ministry of Communications, highlighted the community's concerns about alleged additional individuals who might have aided the robbery and have yet to be brought to justice.

The petition demands further investigation into the roles of these individuals and calls for their prosecution to ensure complete justice for the victims of the tragedy. The Offa community has expressed its desire for a thorough and transparent process that holds all responsible parties accountable.

Mallam Ajakaye assured the public that the state government is committed to ensuring justice and would take all necessary steps to address the community's concerns, in collaboration with relevant law enforcement agencies.

Ajakaye stated, “The state government has recently received a fresh petition regarding the Offa bank robbery from the Offa Descendants Union, following the court judgment that certain individuals in the state should be prosecuted for their roles in the robbery incident.”

The Chief Press Secretary did not disclose the names of those mentioned in the petition but indicated that the State Ministry of Justice would review the petition and take appropriate action.

In response to a question regarding the controversies surrounding the urban renewal project of Governor AbdulRazaq’s administration, Ajakaye asserted that those attacking the government for embarking on the project were deliberately attempting to distract from the call by the Offa community for the state government to prosecute certain individuals linked to the robbery.

He stated that the government was currently reviewing the petition and, if convinced that specific individuals should be prosecuted, it would not hesitate to proceed with legal action.

Also speaking at the press briefing, the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Ibrahim Sulyman, revealed that the state government is currently prosecuting 200 criminal cases perpetrated between May 2024 and the present date.

Of this figure, he noted that the State Ministry of Justice, through its Department of Public Prosecution, has so far secured 57 convictions.

Sulyman indicated that many of the ongoing cases are serious, including homicide, kidnapping, robbery, and rape.

Represented by the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Musa Idris, the Commissioner stated that the ministry had also issued 262 legal advisories on various cases.

During the period under review, the Commissioner explained that the ministry’s Department of Revenue Services has received 35 tax defaulter cases from the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service, of which 12 have been concluded while 23 remain pending.

In her speech, the State Commissioner for Women’s Affairs, Mrs Afolashade Oluwakemi, expressed concern over the increasing cases of neglect of wives and children by men, stating that the ministry has intervened and resolved 15 such cases.

The Commissioner for Water Resources, Usman Lade, announced plans by the state government to initiate an irrigation project aimed at ensuring year-round agriculture in partnership with the African Development Bank.

He stated that two irrigation sites—the Omu-Aran irrigation site and the Dukulade irrigation site—have been considered for the project as they meet the requirement of having at least 500 hectares of land.

Regarding efforts to end open defecation, Lade disclosed that the state government, under its RUWASA project, has constructed 10 smart toilets in each of the three local governments.