A Court of Appeal sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, has upheld the death sentences imposed on five men convicted for their roles in the 2018 Offa bank robbery, dismissing their appeals as lacking merit.
The Kwara State Director of Public Prosecution, Mohammed Akande, who witnessed the proceedings told journalists that the three-member panel of the Appeal Court unanimously affirmed the verdict of the High Court, which sentenced the convicts to death by hanging.
According to Akande, the Ilorin Division of the Court of Appeal—comprising Justices Ridwan Maiwada Abdullahi, Gabriel Kolawole, and Abdul Dogo, on Friday upheld the judgment of Justice H. A. Saleeman of the Kwara State High Court against the appellants: Niyi Ogundiran, Salawu Azeez, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Ayoade Akinnibosun, and Adeola Abraham.
Another court official disclosed that all grounds of appeal filed by the convicts were rejected, with an order for their immediate return to prison custody.
While the convicts retained the right to approach the Supreme Court, the official noted that the arguments canvassed at the Court of Appeal were unconvincing and unlikely to succeed if re-presented at the apex court.
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The five 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 trial.
The convictions arose from the April 2018 coordinated bank robbery in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State, during which five commercial banks were attacked, resulting in at least 32 deaths, including nine police officers.
Justice Haleemah Saleeman had earlier sentenced the convicts to death after a trial that spanned about six years and drew nationwide attention, ruling that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. In addition to the death sentence, the court imposed three-year jail terms for illegal possession of firearms.
Lead prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), described the appellate ruling as thorough and well-considered, while defence counsel Abdullah Jimba said preparations were underway to pursue a final appeal at the Supreme Court.
