By Abikehin Itunu
It was the end of the road for five of the suspects arrested and prosecuted for the bloody bank robbery operation that claimed over 30 lives including a pregnant woman and nine police officers in the ancient town of Offa, Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Six years after the suspects brought raw hell to the otherwise peaceful town in broad daylight, Justice Haleema Salman of the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin, on Thursday, found them guilty and sentenced them to death by hanging.
Delivering judgement in the case, the court held that the convicts attacked some banks, robbed and killed innocent citizens, including nine police officers, in Offa on April 5, 2018.
Judgment would have been delivered pretty earlier on August 2, 2024, but for the nationwide hunger protests which paralysed the country for almost 10 days.
Six suspects, including a policeman, Michael Adikwu, who later died in custody, were arrested in connection with the crime which shook the state.
The other suspects are: Ayoade Akinnibosun, Azeez Salahudeen, Niyi Ogundiran, Ibikunle Ogunleye and Adeola Abraham. They all pleaded not guilty when arraigned in court and the trial went full blast.
All the five suspects were physically present in court on Thursday when Justice Haleema Salman pronounced them guilty and handed them the death sentence.
Justice Haleema Salman started reading the judgement which lasted several hours at 9.14a.m., with the lead prosecuting counsel present, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, in attendance. But the lead defence counsel, Mr. Nathaniel Emeribe, SAN, was absent and was represented by Mr. A. S. Abdullahi.
The convicts-Ayo Akinibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salahudeen Azeez and Niyi Ogundiran- were found guilty of culpable homicide, armed robbery, and illegal possession of firearms, among others.
While they were sentenced to three years imprisonment each for illegal possession of firearms, based on the penal code, the suspects were condemned to death by hanging for culpable homicide and armed robbery. They are hung by the neck until they breath no more.
Justice Haleema Salman held that the prosecution proved it case beyond all reasonable doubts and there was ample evidence to show that the convicts were partners in crime. The judge also held that the material contradictions in the convicts’ arguments watered down their alibis, thus rendering them useless.
“The video clips in the court to show the culpability of the defendants made their alibis worthless, a desperate attempt to cover up and afterthought.
“The law is clear that once a person is present at the scene of a crime such a person is culpable,” Justice Haleema Salman declared. “Any person who fires AK47 at close range at a person should know that the consequence is death.
“The five defendants are hereby convicted for (acts) bordering on illegal possession of firearms, armed robbery and culpable homicide punishable by death.
“I order that the five of you are to be hanged until you are pronounced dead.
“It is however unfortunate that we are witnessing these five able-bodied men who had all the opportunities to better their lots by living decently.
“And some of them were connected to the powers that be then. But they allowed that opportunity to enter their heads and became smart by running afoul of the law and think they will get away with it forgetting that Nigeria is a country where the rule of law operates.
“Their lives cannot be more important than the tens of lives lost in the robbery and murder. The court has applied man-made law but vengeance is of God.”
Justice Salman added that the convicts acted contrary to law and misbehaved by allowing their connections with power that be in government to lead them astray.