Offa Community Split Over Kwara High Court Ruling on 2018 Bank Robbery
The recent judgment of the Kwara State High Court regarding the 2018 Offa banks robbery has left the community divided. After a six-year trial, Justice Haleema Salman last week sentenced the remaining five suspects involved in the robbery to death by hanging. The convicts—Ayoade Akinnibosun, Azeez Salahudeen, Niyi Ogundiran, Ibikunle Ogunleye, and Adeola Abraham—were found guilty of the brutal attack that claimed the lives of 32 people, including nine policemen.
The ruling, however, has sparked differing opinions within the Offa community. On Thursday, the home branch of the Offa Descendants' Union (ODU) urged the Kwara State Government to revisit the case, raising concerns about the judgment.
The Offa robbery, which occurred on April 5, 2018, shocked the nation due to the sheer scale of the violence and loss of life, and the recent court ruling has revived emotional reactions from different quarters of the community.
Addressing journalists in Offa, the chairman of the union, Chief Tajudeen Lanre Shittu, said though the community welcomed the judgement, it expressed reservations 'that many questions have not been answered'.
They called on the state government to expedite action on the execution of the judgement.
'There is the need for a holistic probing of all the factors, notions and personalities, so as to remove the public impression that the Nigeria Police investigation on the incident is incomplete and certain individuals are being covered up.
“The community is unsatisfied with how the police command handled the investigation and expressed reservations. Those who supplied the vehicle used for the robbery and all those mentioned during the course of trial should be investigated”.
But in a statement last night, some 'leaders of thought and indigenes under the aegis of Offa Koya, Offa Kowosi, dismissed the position of the home branch, adding that it was politically motivated
They accused the ODU home branch chairman of using the community's name for cheap politics.
When contacted last night, the national secretary of national branch of the ODU, Mrs Wosilat McCarthy, said Shittu cannot be speaking for the ODU.
Cloud Tag: What's trending
Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.
Idofin Colleges Of Education Academic Staff Union Olatunde Olukoya Olumide Daniel Ibitoye Idi-Ape Abiodun Jacob Ajiboye Oni Adebayo Toyin Falola Olaitan Buraimoh Fareedah Dankaka Aso-ofi Muritala Olarewaju Abdulrazaq Adebayo Ganmo Power Sub-Station Abdullahi G. Mohammad Ope Saraki Erin-ile Saad Omo Iya Gbugbu International Market Salau Kabiru Abdullahi Lanre Badmus Abraham Ojo IF-K Omar Bolaji Gambari Ganiyu Abolarin Aiyedun Federal College Of Education (Special), Afon Yahaya Oloriegbe Tope Daramola Hijab Haruna Tambiri Mohammed Abdullateef Abdussalam Local Government Kola Bukoye Oloyede Sobi Specialist Hospital Sarkin Malamai Lafiagi Gbemisola Oguntimehin Islamic Development Bank Overland Mustapha AbdulGaniyu GGDSS Pakata Ganmo Electricity Sub-Station Jumoke Monsura Gafar Olabimpe Olani Abdullahi Adisa Akodudu KWASSIP Afolayan 2023 Elections Tayo Alao Fatai Adeniyi Garba Esuwoye KWASEIC Funmilayo Braithwaite Jelili Yusuf Monthly Sanitation Exercise Olusegun Adeniyi Bayo Ajia Tunji Oyawoye Sheikh Alimi Sheriff Olanrewaju Saidu Kawu Valsolar-Kwara Company Limited Harmony Holdings Revenue Court Rasaq Jimoh Yoruba 20 Billion Bond Aminu Adisa Logun Mahmud Durosinlohun Atiku Suleiman Idris Facemasks Titus Ashaolu IFK Ganmo Temi Kolawole

