Author: Gist Correspondent

The Court of Appeal sitting in Ilorin has affirmed the death sentences imposed on five men convicted for their roles in the 2018 Offa bank robbery in Kwara State.

In a unanimous judgment delivered on Friday, the appellate court dismissed the appeals filed by the convicts, ruling that they lacked merit. The three-man panel, comprising Justices Ridwan Abdullahi, Gabriel Kolawole and Abdul Dogo, upheld the earlier decision of Justice Haleemah Saleeman of the Kwara State High Court, which sentenced the appellants to death by hanging.

The convicts are Niyi Ogundiran, Salawu Azeez, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Ayoade Akinnibosun and Adeola Abraham.

In its ruling, the court rejected all grounds of appeal raised by the appellants and ordered their immediate remand in prison custody.

The convictions stemmed from the coordinated armed robbery carried out in April 2018 in Offa, headquarters of Offa Local Government Area, during which five commercial banks were simultaneously attacked. The incident resulted in the deaths of no fewer than 32 persons, including nine police officers.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the men were found guilty of armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms and culpable homicide.

A sixth defendant in the case, Michael Adikwu, a retired police officer, reportedly died in custody before the commencement of the trial.

Justice Saleeman had earlier sentenced the five convicts to death after a trial that lasted about six years and attracted nationwide attention due to the scale of the crime and the casualties recorded.

Reacting to the judgment, lead prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, described the appellate court’s decision as thorough and well considered, despite the prolonged delays that characterised the trial process.

Counsel to one of the convicts, Mr. Abdullah Jimba, said the defence team was already making arrangements to approach the Supreme Court for a final appeal.