By Uzair Adam
Justice Haleemah Salman of the Kwara State High Court has convicted five individuals linked to the 2018 Offa robbery incident, sentencing them to death for armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms, and culpable homicide.
The judge, during a judgement session that lasted three and a half hours, stated that all the evidence presented by the prosecution proved the suspects’ guilt.
The robbery, which occurred in April 2018, involved the killing of over 30 people, including policemen, and the looting of several banks in the community.In addition to the death sentence, the suspects received a three-year prison term for illegal possession of firearms.
The convicted individuals include Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salahudeen Azeez, and Niyi Ogundiran.
A sixth suspect, Michael Adikwu, died while in custody.Speaking after the judgement, the prosecution counsel attributed the lengthy trial to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and other national assignments.
Meanwhile, the defence counsel announced plans to appeal the ruling.
The high-profile robbery case initially shocked the nation, prompting the then Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, to offer a N5 million bounty for information leading to the capture and prosecution of the suspects.
The trial, which spanned six years, saw Thursday’s judgement bringing some closure to one of Nigeria’s most infamous robbery cases.