The Court of Appeal sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, has upheld the death sentences imposed on five men convicted over the 2018 Offa bank robbery, dismissing their appeals in their entirety.
In a unanimous judgement delivered on Friday, a three-member panel comprising Justices Ridwan Maiwada Abdullahi, Gabriel Kolawole, and Abdul Dogo affirmed the decision of the Kwara State High Court, which sentenced the convicts to death by hanging.
The appellants Niyi Ogundiran, Salawu Azeez, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Ayoade Akinnibosun, and Adeola Abraham were found guilty of armed robbery, culpable homicide, and illegal possession of firearms following coordinated attacks on five commercial banks in Offa Local Government Area in April 2018.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Kwara State Director of Public Prosecution, Mohammed Akande, said the appellate court found no reason to interfere with the judgement of the trial court.
According to him, the Court of Appeal agreed that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and held that the appellants failed to establish any miscarriage of justice. All grounds of appeal were consequently dismissed, and the convictions were upheld.
The court further ordered that the convicts be returned to prison custody.
It will be recalled 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 judgement, she noted that the convicts acted in violation of the law and allowed their perceived connections with influential individuals at the time to mislead them.
In addition to the death penalty, the court also sentenced the convicts to three years’ imprisonment for illegal possession of firearms.
Lead prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), described the appellate court’s ruling as thorough and well-considered, saying it reaffirmed the strength of the prosecution’s case despite prolonged delays during the trial.
However, defence counsel to one of the convicts, Abdullah Jimba, disclosed that arrangements were being made to approach the Supreme Court for a final appeal.
The convictions stemmed from the April 2018 robbery in Offa, during which 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 trial commenced.
