Justice Haleemah Salman of the Kwara State High Court has sentenced five suspects to death for their involvement in the brutal 2018 Offa bank robbery. The incident, which occurred in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State, involved coordinated attacks on five banks and resulted in the deaths of 32 people, including nine police officers.
The convicts—Ayoade Akinnibosun, Azeez Salahudeen, Niyi Ogundiran, Ibikunle Ogunleye, and Adeola Abraham—were found guilty of multiple charges including conspiracy, culpable homicide, armed robbery, and illegal possession of firearms. The ruling was handed down by Justice Haleemah Salman, who presided over the case for six years, a trial that garnered widespread public and media attention due to the severity of the crimes.
The robbery, which took place in April 2018, sent shockwaves through the country. Armed with sophisticated weapons, the gang stormed several banks in the town, firing at random and leaving many residents and security personnel dead. Two female police officers were among the nine law enforcement agents killed during the horrific attack.
In her judgment, Justice Haleemah Salman did not mince words, stating that the crimes committed were heinous and deserving of the maximum penalty. She said, “The convicts acted contrary to the law and allowed their connections with those in power at the time to lead them astray.” Following this, she sentenced the five convicts to death by hanging. In addition, they were given a three-year prison term for illegal possession of firearms.
The case, which dragged on for six years, saw multiple delays and complications. One of the key suspects, Michael Adikwu, a former police officer, died while in custody before the trial could begin. His death further complicated the case, but the court eventually moved forward with the remaining defendants.
The lead prosecution counsel, Barrister Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), expressed satisfaction with the judgment. He praised the court’s thoroughness in handling the case despite the numerous challenges that arose during the trial. “Justice has been served,” he said after the ruling was made.
However, the defense team, led by Barrister Abdullah Jimba, noted that they had anticipated the outcome and were already preparing for an appeal. He mentioned that the necessary documents were being compiled to challenge the ruling in a higher court.
