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Tag: Offa robbery suspects

  • Offa robbery: Court refuses post-mortem examination of dead suspect

    Kwara state High Court sitting in Ilorin, the state capital Monday refused the exhumation of the corpse of the death principal suspect, Michael Adikwu in the April 5th, 2018 bloody Offa robbery incident, for post-mortem examination to determine the cause of his death.

    But the court granted the prayer of the defence asking for an independent examination of the alleged gunshot injuries sustained by the first, second and third accused persons in the case.

    The accused persons Ayoade Akinnibosun (1st accused person), Ibikunle Ogunleye (2nd accused person) and Adeola Abraham (3rd accused person), Salaudeen Azeez (4th accused person) and Niyi Ogundiran (5th accused person) were in court.

    Earlier, the 5th accused person (Niyi Ogundiran) narrated in the court how the police extracted his confessional statement from him under duress.

    The first, second and third accused persons had at the last adjourned date accused the police of shooting them on the legs to instill fear in them before extracting statement from them.

    They also alleged that the police shot death Michael Adikwu while in their custody contrary to what the police said that the man died of an ailment in a hospital.

    As a result, defence counsel Mathias Emeribe said that “in view of the fact that the four accused persons had given their stories, I hereby apply for an independent medical examination of the legs of the first,
    second and third accused persons to determine whether the wounds on their legs are products of gunshots.

    “I also ask for an order to carry out autopsy on the death of Michael Adikwu, the principal suspect so as to find corroboration to evidence of especially the 5th accused person as well as all the other three
    persons.

    “The essence of this is not unconnected with the fact that Adikwu was initially one of the accused persons charged along with others and it is important that one of their own was allegedly killed before them. The fact of the cause of the death must be determined in order to find out the truth as top how the confessional statements were obtained.

    “The name Michael Adikwu was repeated consistently by all the four accused persons in this trial within trial and I think it will be in the interest of justice for the accused persons to put in a proper
    defence to get the result of that medical examination.”
    But prosecution counsel Prof Wahab Egbewole (SAN) opposed the application vehemently, describing it as strange.

    Said Egbewole: “I urge the court to refuse this strange application; justice is not a one way traffic. It is available to all the parties and not only for the accused.

    “For the record, this is a trial within trial specifically to determine the voluntariness of the statements of the accused persons. It is not for the court to look for evidence to corroborate his allegation. It is for him to do that.

    “This application is tantamount to inviting your lordship to come to the arena. The application is clearly shopping for evidence. The shooting of Adikwu has no relevance to the issues of a trial within
    trial.”

    Having listened to both parties, presiding judge, Justice Halima Salman took a shot break of proceeding before delivering her ruling.

    In her ruling Justice Salman said “the court will avail all the parties all the facilities available in this case. It is therefore in the interest of justice and fair hearing to allow for a medical examination to know whether the healed wounds on the three suspects’ legs emanated from gunshots. I therefore grant the first prayer.

    “On the post-mortem examination of the corpse of the dead Michael Adikwu, there is nothing the autopsy will add to this case. It is baseless and pointless to grant the second prayer.”

    She ordered the court Registrar to prepare the “enroll order today to be served on both the defence and prosecution.”

    Justice Salman adjourned the case to April 8th for continuation of defence in trial within trial.

  • Hearing of Offa robbery suspects adjourned for security reasons

    A Kwara State High Court in Ilorin yesterday abruptly adjourned trial of Offa robbery suspects, citing security reasons.

    The court had begun sitting about 9am for the continuation of hearing.

    One of the prosecution witnesses, Inspector Hitila Hassan, continued to give his evidence-in-chief and was cross-examined by the defence counsel, Mathias Emeribe.

    At some minutes past 2pm, Justice Halimat Salman said: “Reports reaching us are not favourable for the continuation of the case today. I don’t have anything doing, but the court has to rise for the case to continue tomorrow.

    “For the security of the suspects and all of us here, I have to rise. May God spare our lives till tomorrow for the continuation of hearing.”

    The five accused standing trial in connection with the April 5, 2018 Offa robbery, Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salaudeen Azeez and Niyi Ogundiran, were in court.

    In his evidence-in-chief, Inspector Hassan said the confessional statement of the first accused (Akinnibosun) indicted the Chief of Staff to Kwara State Government, Babatunde Abdulwahab, political adviser to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, Lekan Alabi and one Adeola Omiyale.

    He added the first accused alleged that he got the AK47 rifles allegedly used in the robbery from the above people, saying that informed their arrest by the police high command in Abuja.

    Read also: Absence of defence counsel stalls Offa robbery case

    Hassan, who said he is attached to the Intelligence Response Team of the former Inspector General of Police, added that it is headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari.

    Hassan said he supervised the recording of the confessional statements of Ibikunle Ogunleye (second accused person) and Adeola Abraham (third accused person), adding that he helped to write those of the first accused (Akinnibosun) and fifth accused person (Niyi Ogundiran), and he countersigned as the writer.

    Lead prosecuting counsel Prof Wahab Egbewole sought to tender the statements as exhibit, but Mr. Emeribe objected.

    He argued that the statements were not voluntarily taken, noting that they fell short of the provisions of the Evidence Act, particularly sections 28 and 29.

    Said he: “They fall short of the Kwara State Administration of Criminal Justice Law because as it did not show the voluntariness of the statements as stated, particularly as it concerns Section 33 of the Kwara State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2018.

    “Even in the absence of the law, they did not comply with the judge’s rules. It must be understood that Kwara State Administration of Justice Law 2018 was created to protect the rights of the accused when statement of this nature is about to be taken. Failure to yield to these provisions will automatically render the admissibility of same null and void.

    “I hold the view that the statements have failed to pass the test of admissibility. I submit that they were not taken voluntarily as required by the law.”

    He added: “The law does not have retrospective effect. The Kwara State Administration of Criminal Justice Law came into force on December 3, 2018 and these statements were recorded in May last year.”

    The judge adjourned the case till today for continuation of hearing.

     

  • Prosecution stalls hearing of Offa robbery suspects

    Commencement of definite hearing of the Offa robbery suspects could not begin on Friday at the Kwara state High Court sitting in Ilorin, the state capital.

    This was due to the unpreparedness of the prosecution.

    The court had fixed Friday as the last adjourned date for definite hearing as a result of the inability of the prosecution to produce witnesses in court.

    The five accused Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salaudeen Azeez and Niyi Ogundiran were in court.

    The April 5th 2018 bloody bank robbery incident claimed 33 lives including nine policemen and women.

    The accused were charged alleged conspiracy, armed robbery, murder, culpable homicide and illegal possession of firearms.

    Appearing for the first time in the case for the state government/prosecution, Prof Wahab Egbewole (SAN) urged the court to grant him some ample time to interact with the witnesses.

    He thereafter applied for a short adjournment.

    He added that “I got a fiat from the state Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice Kamaldeen Ajibade yesterday to take over the case. I am yet to interact with the witnesses who are in court.”

    He added that “I want to plead I will not ask for adjournment any more in this case. What is important in this matter is for justice to be done to all parties at the end of the day.”

    In his reaction, Defense Mathias Emeribe agreed with the position canvassed by the learned silk.

    “However, I want to urge him to impress it upon the police to avail me of all the evidence they want to tender in the matter. It is important for me to study the evidences and bring same before my clients to be able to do a proper defense in this matter,” he added.

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    Said he: “I am still waiting for prosecution to show that they have the capacity and all that is required to do well in this case. At least, if for nothing, you discover, the fault is not from the defense, so that when I begin to make the necessary applications the whole world will know that the defense is justified.

    “There are some things you will do and it will look as if you are not ready to do justice in this matter. My countenance and that of the defense have shown that we are ready to prove our innocence.”

    Angered by the delayed in the commencement of hearing, the trial Judge, Justice Halimat Salman said “I don’t like what is happening in this case. At the end of the day, they will put the blame on the court.

    The witnesses are in court yet you (prosecution) are not ready for prosecution.”

    Before granting the application for adjournment, Justice Salman said: “the court is reluctantly granting the adjournment at the instance of the prosecution.”

    She then adjourned the case to January 25th for hearing.

  • Offa robbery suspects pleaded not guilty

    An Ilorin, Kwara State High Court yesterday took the pleas of April 5 bloody Offa robbery suspects.

    The five suspects arraigned in court pleaded not guilty to the five count of armed robbery and illegal possession of firearms preferred against them.

    The suspects were physically present in court and were represented by Mr. Mathias Emeribe.

    They are Ayoade Akinibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Salawudeen Azeez, Adeola Abraham and Niyi Ogundiran.

    The five charges against them include conspiracy to rob banks in Offa; possession of gun and explosives and robbery of the staff and premises of Zenith, Eco Bank, Union Bank, GT Bank et al; conspiracy to murder nine police officers and other innocent souls on the said date including women; commission of culpable homicide resulting in the death of nine police officers and others and illegal possession of firearms (two AK47) on the said day.

    Taking their pleas one by one, they all swore not to know anything pertaining to the bloody robbery incident on April 5 this year, which claimed scores of lives including those of police officers.

    All the suspects claimed not to be in Offa on the day of the robbery incidents. Two of the suspects, Adeola Abraham and Salawudeen Azeez, when asked of their involvement in the murder of nine police officers, retorted: ‘Auzubillahi.’

    Salawudeen Azeez added: “I have not touched a gun in my life time.”

    Earlier, the prosecution led by the Kwara State Attorney General Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN) said the case was adjourned from November 21 till yesterday to amend the charge based on the “information as to the death of the first accused person, one Michael Adikwu.

    “We have filed out application to that effect. We are ready to move our harmless application dated and filed 23rd of November, 2018 and brought pursuant to Section 207, 208 subsection one and two of criminal procedure.

    “We pray for an order granting the complainants/applicants to amend the charge deleting the name of the first accused and an order for the application to be properly filed.”

    Presiding Judge, Justice Halimat Salman, granted the prayers of the prosecution for the deletion of the name of the first accused person, Michael Adikwu, reported by the police to have slumped and died in their custody.

    Before the commencement of pleas, suspects’ counsel Mr. Emeribe had asked the court to give him more time to interact with the suspects, adding that he was just seeing them for the first time in court.

    Said he: “I was just served with the court processes this morning. I won’t blame the prosecution as they may not know. I was briefed about the matter yesterday by the families of the suspects.

    “I stand on the Provision of Section 36 which talks about adequate time. It is, however, within the power of the court to do justice, taking cognizance of the sensitivity of the matter.

    “The only thing that can save them from the hangman’s noose is the constitution. I don’t know the kind of pleas they are going to make now that will not work against them.”

    But, Justice Salman said in order to save time, “I will take their pleas this morning.”

    The counsel to the accused also brought to the notice of the court that he was yet to be in possession of the CD and confessional statements of the suspects attached to the charge sheet.

  • ‘Kwara govt to prosecute Offa robbery suspects’

    A Nigeria Police Force said yesterday that it was waiting for the Kwara State Attorney-General to take over the prosecution of the suspects in the Offa robbery.

    It said the fate of the suspects would be decided by state Attorney-General.

    The Force said it had been waiting for the Attorney-General to take over the prosecution of the suspects, since the directive was given in August by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.

    The suspects had in their confessional statements indicted Senate President Bukola Saraki, Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and others in the state.

    The Police was reacting to an allegation by the Chairman, Kwara State House of Assembly Committee on Information, Abdulrafiu Abdulrahman.

    The lawmaker had insinuated that there were plots by the Police to use the eight suspected human part dealers it transferred from the state to the Force headquarters in Abuja as instruments of political victimisation.

    Abdulrahman also alleged that the police were working to force some of the suspects to implicate prominent clerics and top politicians in the state in the matter.

    Reacting to the allegation, Force spokesman Ag. DCP Jimoh Moshood said: “Investigation into the arrested suspects in connection with the 11 human skull and other human body parts recovered from them is ongoing. “The Police will definitely make the outcome public.

    “Any individual or group found to be connected with this heinous crime will be arrested and prosecuted.

    “The Force has no plan to implicate any personality in the matter and there is no cause for any innocent person(s) to be afraid of the law.

    “On the case of Offa bank robbery suspects referred to by Hon. Abdulrahman, investigation has been concluded by the police and the case file sent to the Attorney-General of the Federation, who directed that the case file be sent to the Kwara State Attorney-General for prosecution, which the Police has complied with since August.”

  • Saraki explains links with Offa robbery suspects

    Senate President Bukola Saraki yesterday said he had given the police the explanation on his alleged links with the Offa robbery suspects.

    Saraki said his written response to the Police was in compliance with the demand of the Police that he should put down his response in writing.within 48 hours.

    In a tweet yesterday, Saraki said he has complied with the Police demand

    The Tweet read: “Bukola Saraki @bukolasaraki-12m; In line with their request, earlier today, the Police received my response to their letter on the investigation into the Offa robbery case.”

    Efforts to obtain a copy of the response of the Senate President were not successful.

    A source close to Saraki however said that “the fact of the matter is that the response of the Senate President to the Police is now with the Police as they demanded.”

    The source said that Saraki’s response “was delivered, received and signed for by the Police.”