In a significant legal development, the Court of Appeal in Ilorin has upheld the death sentences for five men convicted in connection with the deadly 2018 Offa bank robbery in Kwara State.
Delivering the judgment on Friday after more than four hours of proceedings, the appellate court dismissed all the appellants’ grounds of appeal as without merit and affirmed the earlier ruling of the Kwara State High Court.
The convicts Ayoade Akinnibosun, Azeez Salahudeen, Niyi Ogundiran, Ibikunle Ogunleye, and Adeola Abraham were previously found guilty of armed robbery, culpable homicide, and illegal possession of firearms arising from the violent attack on five banks in Offa Local Government Area on April 5, 2018, which left dozens of people dead.
One of the six original suspects, Michael Adikwu, a former police officer, died in custody before the trial began.
The appeals court ordered that the convicts be returned to custody to continue serving their death sentences by hanging, as originally imposed by the trial court after a six-year prosecution.
Although the convicts still have the right to pursue a final appeal at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, legal observers note that the strength of the evidence upheld by the appellate court could make any further challenge difficult.
The ruling marks a crucial moment in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to bring justice in one of the country’s most notorious armed robbery cases, underscoring the judiciary’s stance on violent crime.