The Court of Appeal sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, has upheld the death sentences imposed on five men convicted over the deadly 2018 Offa bank robbery, dismissing their appeals against the judgement of the Kwara State High Court.
The appellate court, in a unanimous decision delivered on Friday by Justices Ridwan Maiwada Abdullahi, Gabriel Kolawole and Abdul Dogo, affirmed the trial court’s verdict sentencing the convicts to death by hanging.
The five convicts; Niyi Ogundiran, Salawu Azeez, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Ayoade Akinnibosun and Adeola Abraham were found guilty of armed robbery, culpable homicide and illegal possession of firearms in connection with coordinated attacks on five commercial banks in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State in April 2018.
Confirming the judgement in a statement on Saturday, the Kwara State Director of Public Prosecution, Mohammed Akande, said the appellate court found no justification to interfere with the decision of the trial court.
“The Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, comprising Hon. Justice Ridwan Maiwada Abdullahi JCA, Hon. Justice Gabriel Kolawole JCA, and Hon. Justice Abdul Dogo JCA, on Friday affirmed the judgement of Hon. Justice H. A. Saleeman of the Kwara State High Court, which sentenced the appellants, Niyi Ogundiran, Salawu Azeez, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Ayoade Akinnibosun, and Adeola Abraham, to death by hanging for their involvement in the Offa bank robbery,” Akande stated.
“The appellants failed to establish any miscarriage of justice. The Court of Appeal agreed with the High Court that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and upheld the convictions.
“The court dismissed all their grounds of appeal and upheld their convictions. They have been taken back to prison,” he added.
DAILY GAZETTE recall that Justice Haleemah Saleeman of the Kwara State High Court handed down the death sentences after a six-year trial that attracted nationwide attention.
In her four-hour judgement, the trial judge held that the convicts “acted contrary to the law and allowed their connections with those in power at the time to lead them astray.”
In addition to the death penalty, the High Court also sentenced the convicts to three years’ imprisonment for illegal possession of firearms.
Reacting to the appellate court’s ruling, lead prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), described the judgement as “thorough and well-considered,” noting that it reaffirmed the strength of the prosecution’s case despite delays that prolonged the trial.
On the defence side, counsel to one of the convicts, Abdullah Jimba, disclosed that preparations were already underway to approach the Supreme Court.
The convictions stemmed from the April 2018 coordinated bank robbery in Offa, during which five commercial banks were attacked and at least 32 people, including nine police officers, were killed, making it one of the deadliest bank robbery incidents in Nigeria’s history.
A sixth suspect, Michael Adikwu, a retired police officer, died in custody before the commencement of the trial.
