Why Did The Nigerian Police Force Not Send SARS Operatives To The One-Hour Long Offa Robbery?

Residents of Offa Local Government Area of Kwara state experienced an extremely traumatic experience in Thursday, 5th of April 2018, as a gang of heavily armed robbers stormed five commercial banks in the densely populated town, leaving at least 10 people dead.

As i was about to buy Recharge card i Saw people Running around owode area in Offa I don’t even ask question. I join them right now, Arm robbery is in progress multiple gun shots. Anyone around that area should shut their doors, & windows until this is over. This is not a drill!

— peaceful sherif (@shefman_) April 5, 2018

The robbers deployed all forms of extremely lethal strategies to gain access to the bank. They used lethal weapons like dynamites and bullet proof resistant weapons that made thousand of people scamper for safety. According to an eye witness, the robbery which lasted over an hour, featured a good number of shooting spree by the 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

But the big question on every ones lips is; why did the Nigerian Police Force not send the dreaded SARS team to the robbery scene while it lasted? Was the extremely loud sound of a dynamite not audible enough for them to hear? Did the employees of the commercial bank place a call to the nearest station while the robbers were trying to gain access to the bank?
A quick glance through some tweets by resident around the bank while the robbery lasted literally answered these questions in one-fell-swoop.

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

So the big question is: Why exactly did our Twitter active police command not respond to an entire community in distress while civilians were exposed to extreme danger in broad-daylight?

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

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

https://twitter.com/jackdre02/status/982217795151609857Photo Credit: Getty