The Court of Appeal has upheld the death sentence passed on five men convicted over the deadly 2018 bank robbery in Offa, Kwara State, declaring that the convicts must be executed by hanging.
The appellate court, sitting in Ilorin, dismissed the appeals filed by the convicts, describing their arguments as lacking merit and affirming the judgment of the Kwara State High Court which found them guilty of armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms and culpable homicide.
Those sentenced are Ayoade Akinnibosun, Azeez Salahudeen, Niyi Ogundiran, Ibikunle Ogunleye and Adeola Abraham. A sixth suspect, Michael Adikwu, a retired police officer, reportedly died in custody before the commencement of trial.
An official familiar with the case said the convicts had been returned to prison custody following the judgment, adding that although they retain the right to approach the Supreme Court, their chances of overturning the ruling appear slim.
“The arguments canvassed at the Court of Appeal were unconvincing. If the same issues are raised at the apex court, they may not succeed,” the official said.
The convictions arose from the coordinated April 2018 attacks on five commercial banks in Offa Local Government Area, during which at least 32 people were killed, including nine police officers, two of them women. The incident was widely described as one of the deadliest bank robberies in Nigeria’s history.
Justice Haleemah Saleeman of the Kwara State High Court had in 2023 sentenced the convicts to death by hanging after a trial that lasted nearly six years and attracted nationwide attention.
In a judgment that lasted over four hours, the trial judge held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, relying on eyewitness accounts, confessional statements and forensic evidence linking the defendants to the crime.
In addition to the death penalty, the court also sentenced the convicts to three years’ imprisonment each for illegal possession of firearms, in line with provisions of Nigeria’s penal laws.
Lead prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), welcomed the appellate court’s ruling, describing it as thorough and well-considered despite the prolonged delays that marked the trial.
“The judgment reinforces public confidence in the criminal justice system and sends a strong message that violent crimes of this magnitude will not go unpunished,” Jacobs said.
However, defence counsel, Abdullah Jimba, who represented one of the convicts, disclosed that preparations were already underway to challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court.
The Offa robbery, which shocked the nation, triggered renewed debates over policing, arms proliferation and capital punishment in Nigeria, with many families of the victims still seeking closure nearly eight years after the massacre.
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