Court of Appeal upholds death sentences for 2018 Offa Bank robbery convicts

The Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, has upheld the death sentences handed to five men convicted over the 2018 Offa bank robbery, dismissing their appeals as lacking merit.

The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in Kwara State, Mohammed Akande, told journalists that a three-judge panel, comprising Justices Ridwan Maiwada Abdullahi, Gabriel Kolawole, and Abdul Dogo, unanimously affirmed the High Court ruling that sentenced the convicts to death by hanging.

The convicts, Niyi Ogundiran, Salawu Azeez, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Ayoade Akinnibosun, and Adeola Abraham, were found guilty of armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms, and culpable homicide. They have been returned to prison custody following the judgment.

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

While the convicts retain the right to appeal to the Supreme Court, legal experts note that the arguments rejected by the Court of Appeal are unlikely to succeed at the apex court.

The convictions trace back to April 2018, when a coordinated robbery struck five commercial banks in Offa Local Government Area, resulting in at least 32 deaths, including nine police officers, making it one of Nigeria’s deadliest bank heists.

Justice Haleemah Saleeman of the Kwara State High Court, who presided over the six-year trial, had earlier held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, noting that 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 imposed three-year jail terms for illegal possession of firearms, in line with Nigerian law.

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 file a final appeal at the Supreme Court.