2018 Armed Robbery: Offa Residents Protest Seeming Delay Trial

People of Offa in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara state on Friday stormed Government House, Ilorin to protest the seeming delay in the trial of suspects in the April 5, 2018 armed robbery incident in the ancient city.

It is recalled that 33 persons including policemen were killed by daredevil armed robbers who invaded some conmercual banks in Offa four years ago.

The suspected armed robbers also reportedly carted away about N10 million during the attack.

The aggrieved people of Offa, who were at the Government House, Ilorin to urge the Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to expedite action on the trial of the suspects with a view to serve the victims and their relations with justice, carried placards with various inscriptions.

Some of messages on the placards include “Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, don’t fold your hands. Expedite action on the trial of Offa robbery suspects”, “We need justice on Offa robbery incident”, “The blood of Offa 33 victims is crying”, among others.

Addressing the protesters on behalf of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, the state attorney general and commissioner for Justice, Barrister Salman Jawondo SAN, said that the case is still pending before a court of competent jurisdiction.

Jawondo, who identified with the pains of the Offa people and especially the relations of the victims, said that no stone would be left unturned until justice is served on the matter.

All the five suspects in the 2018 Offa bank robbery, Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Azeez Salawu and Niyi Ogundiran are all standing trial before Justice Haleema Salman of the Kwara state High Court, Ilorin.

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