Justice Haleemah Salman of Kwara State High Court, sitting in Ilorin, yesterday convicted and sentenced to death by hanging five persons who were standing trial before the court over the bloody Offa bank robbery.
The court also sentenced each of the convicts to three-year jail terms for being in possession of illegal firearms.
The convicts are Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salahudeen Azeez and Niyi Ogundiran.
They had, on April 5th, 2018, attacked some commercial banks and police stations in Offa, Offa local government area, killing 32 persons, including nine police officers in the process.
The state government prosecuted the case, charging the convicts to court for illegal possession of firearms, armed robbery and culpable homicide.
Delivering her about three hours verdict, Justice Salman said there was abundant evidence that the convicts were partners in crime, adding that the prosecution proved the offences against the defendants beyond reasonable doubt.
“The video clips in the court to show the culpability of the defendants made their alibis worthless, a desperate attempt to cover up an afterthought. The law is clear that once a person is present at the scene of a crime, such a person is culpable. Any person who fires AK 47 at close range at a person should know that the consequence is death.
“The five defendants are hereby convicted for offences bordering on illegal possession of firearms, armed robbery and culpable homicide punishable by death. I order that the five of you be hanged until you are pronounced dead,” the judge ruled.