Justice Haleemah Salman of the Kwara State High Court has sentenced five suspects involved in the Offa bank robbery to death for illegal possession of firearms, armed robbery, and culpable homicide.
News About Nigeria gathered that the judge ruled that the crimes committed by the suspects are punishable by death.
The armed robbery took place on April 5, 2018, in Offa, Kwara State, where the convicted men carried out a series of brutal attacks, killing 39 people, including pregnant women and police officers, in a coordinated assault near the bank area.
The five accused—Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salahudeen Azeez, and Niyi Ogundiran—were tried on charges of conspiracy, armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms, and murder.
During the trial, CSP Adamu Danjuma, the former Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Offa Local Government Area, testified in September 2020, recounting how 21 AK-47 rifles were stolen from the police station’s armoury during the robbery.
Danjuma narrated the events, stating that the robbers launched their attack around 4:45 p.m.
He recalled hearing gunshots approaching the station after an initial attack at Captain Cook Eatery Junction.
As the robbers closed in, they launched explosives at the police station, forcing him and his officers to take cover.
Danjuma detailed how the attackers killed multiple police officers, including ASP Julius Pelemo and a policewoman, while also targeting civilians.
He was able to alert higher police authorities for reinforcements during the assault while hearing gunshots and explosions near the banks where other members of the gang were also carrying out attacks.
The DPO said that three civilians, including one suspect and two witnesses, were killed at the police station by the robbers.
He said he was involved in transporting 17 bodies to the General Hospital in Ilorin for autopsy.
Exhibits recovered from the scene included expended and live ammunition, pellets, and a cartridge safety box from the Ministry of Police Affairs, Lagos.
