Offa Robbery: Appeal Court Confirms Death Sentence For Five Convicts

According to Ireporter Online, the Court of Appeal in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Friday upheld the death sentences of five men convicted for their roles in the 2018 Offa bank robbery, dismissing their appeals as lacking merit.

A court official who witnessed the proceedings confirmed that the appellate court rejected all grounds of appeal presented by the convicts and ordered their immediate return to prison custody. “The court dismissed all their grounds of appeal and upheld their convictions. They have been taken back to prison,” the official said.

While the convicts retain the right to appeal to the Supreme Court, the official noted that the arguments raised at the Court of Appeal were unconvincing and may face similar outcomes if pursued further.

The convicts whose death sentences were affirmed are Ayoade Akinnibosun, Azeez Salahudeen, Niyi Ogundiran, Ibikunle Ogunleye, and Adeola Abraham. They were convicted of armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms, and culpable homicide. A sixth suspect, Michael Adikwu, a retired police officer, died in custody before the trial commenced.

The convictions stem from the coordinated April 2018 robbery in Offa Local Government Area, Kwara State, during which five commercial banks were attacked and at least 32 people were killed, including nine police officers. The incident remains one of the deadliest bank robberies in Nigeria’s history.

Justice Haleemah Salman of the Kwara State High Court had initially sentenced the five men to death by hanging after a trial that lasted nearly six years and attracted nationwide attention. In her judgment, which extended over four hours, she stated that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt and that the convicts had acted contrary to the law, allowing connections with influential figures at the time to mislead them.

In addition to the death penalty, the trial court sentenced them to three years’ imprisonment for illegal possession of firearms, consistent with Nigeria’s penal laws. Lead prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), described the appellate court’s ruling as thorough and well-considered, despite delays that marked the trial.

Defence counsel Abdullah Jimba confirmed that preparations were underway to pursue a final appeal at the Supreme Court. Legal analysts say the judgment marks a critical milestone in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to combat violent crimes, particularly large-scale bank robberies with mass casualties.