Appeal Court Upholds Death Sentence Of Five Convicts

The Court of Appeal sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Friday affirmed the death sentences imposed on five men convicted over the 2018 Offa bank robbery, dismissing their appeals as lacking merit.

A court official who witnessed the proceedings told SaharaReporters that the appellate court rejected all the grounds of appeal filed by the convicts and ordered their immediate return to prison custody.

“The court dismissed all their grounds of appeal and upheld their convictions. They have been taken back to prison,” the official said.

Although the convicts retain the right to approach the Supreme Court, the official noted that the arguments raised at the Court of Appeal were unconvincing and may not succeed if repeated at the apex court.

Those whose death sentences were upheld are Ayoade Akinnibosun, Azeez Salahudeen, Niyi Ogundiran, Ibikunle Ogunleye and Adeola Abraham.

They were convicted of armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms and culpable homicide.

A sixth suspect, Michael Adikwu, a retired police officer, died in custody before the commencement of the trial.

Naija News recalls that the convictions stem from the April 2018 coordinated bank robbery in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State, during which five commercial banks were attacked.

At least 32 people were killed, including nine police officers, two of whom were women, making it one of the deadliest bank robberies in Nigeria’s history.

Justice Haleemah Salman of the Kwara State High Court had earlier sentenced the five convicts to death by hanging after a trial that lasted about six years and attracted nationwide attention.

In her judgment, which lasted over four hours, Justice Salman held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

She said 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 sentence, the trial court also sentenced them to three years’ imprisonment for illegal possession of firearms, in line with provisions of Nigeria’s penal laws.

Lead prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), described the appellate court’s decision as thorough and well considered, despite the prolonged delays that characterised the trial.

On the defence side, Abdullah Jimba, counsel to one of the convicts, said preparations were underway to pursue a final appeal at the Supreme Court.

The judgment represents a significant milestone in Nigeria’s fight against violent crime, particularly large-scale bank robberies that result in mass casualties.