The Offa Progressive Youth Development Association on Tuesday urged the government and political actors to stop using the Offa robbery incident as a campaign narrative.
The group said the continued politicisation of the tragedy, particularly during election periods, was insensitive and unacceptable.
In a statement on Tuesday ,the association’s Secretary, Musharaph Babatunde Abdulrauf, said, “As youths and stakeholders, we call on the government and all political actors to immediately stop using the Offa robbery as an excuse or narrative for elections.”
He questioned the level of support provided to victims and their families since the incident, noting that many had been left to cope on their own.
“But beyond words, we must ask the most important question: What has been done for the victims?” he asked.
“Many of the victims and their families—some of whom are here with us today—have received little or no meaningful support. No adequate financial assistance. No sustained emotional care. No visible commitment to their recovery.”
Abdulrauf said the situation raised concerns about the government’s priorities, adding that survivors were still battling trauma while rebuilding their lives without sufficient assistance.
He stressed that if authorities truly cared about Offa, the focus should shift from political rhetoric to concrete action.
“If the government truly cares about Offa, then the focus must shift from political storytelling to real action—justice for victims, support and compensation for affected families and concrete steps to prevent such tragedies in the future,” he said.
The group maintained that its position was not to create conflict but to demand accountability and respect for lives lost.
“We are not here to create conflict; we are here to demand responsibility. We are here to demand accountability and we are here to demand respect for the lives that were lost,” he added.
The association called on the government to engage directly with victims and provide adequate compensation, while putting an end to what it described as the exploitation of the tragedy.
“Offa deserves healing—not exploitation. The victims deserve justice—not silence, and the people deserve leadership—not repeated narratives without action,” the statement read.
The group also recalled that the April 5, 2018 robbery was not an isolated incident but the third of such attacks in the town, each resulting in the loss of security personnel and innocent lives.
“This is not just history. This is a recurring tragedy. This is our pain,” Abdulrauf said.
He described it as disturbing that such a tragedy continued to be used as a political tool, insisting that the suffering of the people must not be turned into campaign propaganda.
“The pain of Offa is not a campaign strategy. It is not propaganda material. It must never be used as a weapon for political gain,” he added.