Scores of people yesterday protested against what they called the delay in the trial of suspects arrested over April 5th, 2018 bloody bank robbery in Offa area of Kwara state.
No fewer than 33 persons including nine policemen were killed in the robbery.
The robbers also attacked five banks and carted away million of Naira.
Five persons Ayoade Akinnibosun; Ibikunle Ogunleye; Adeola Abraham;
Azeez Salawu and Niyi Ogundiran suspected of complicity in the robbery have since been standing trial before Justice Haleema Salman of the state High Court, Ilorin.
The protesters 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 serving the victims and their relations with justice.
Some of the protesters wielded placards with inscriptions: ‘“ 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.’’
Assuaging the fears of the protesters, Attorney General and Justice Commissioner Salman Jawondo assured that the case would not be swept under the carpet.
Jawondo said: “You have come in respect of April 2018 Offa robbery where at least 33 persons were killed by the armed robbers. Since then the government has not forgotten about the case. We are doing everything that is allowed within the law to make sure we put our case across to court and justice is done.
“The government has called eleven witnesses in proof of the case and some of the witnesses include bankers who were at the scene of the crime including the recorded footage of the closed circuit television (CCTV) of the robbery.
The footage had shown how the robbery was being committed as well as facts and figures of the money stolen from the banks. We have even tendered certificates of death of those killed including the policemen. It is the wheel of justice that grinds slowly but can be very devastating when its result comes out.
“I want to assure that government will not allow the case to go under.
Yes, I can understand your anxiety and fear, that a particular individual had one time told the whole world that nothing will come out of the case. But that was when they were there. Now that we have a new government led by a responsible and responsive individual, you can be sure that justice will be done.
“The case came up February 21st, 2022 after the government had closed its case, it is now for the defendants to place before the court their defence if any. But it is part of the procedural law that they can raise no-case submission, which they did.
“So we exchanged addresses and the addresses were adopted. The case has now been fixed on April 25th, 2022 for ruling on no case submission.”