Spike in COVID-19 cases in Kwara stalls continuation of Offa bank robbery trial

Date: 2020-07-23

The ongoing trial of the suspects of April 5, 2018 Offa bank robbery could not continue as the doors of the court of the trial judge, Justice Haleema Suleeman, were under lock and keys.

Though, the prison officials arrive at the court premises with all the accused; Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salahudeen Azeez and Niyi Ogundiran at 9.05am there were no court officials to open the court room for the day's trial.

Justice Haleema Suleeman was not also physically present even though counsels of both the plaintiffs and defendants were present.

However, findings by newsmen who had thronged the Ilorin High Court premises to cover court proceedings showed that the courts have been shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The spike in COVID-19 positive cases in Kwara state has been disturbing in recent time as 87 new cases were additionally recorded by Wednesday morning according to the Spokesman of Covid-19 Technical Committee Rafiu Ajakaye.

According to the circular pasted on one of the walls in the court premises signed by the Chief Registrar of the State High Court,Mrs Ibijoke Olawoyin, it stated that the court decided to shut down because of " the risks associated with public gathering.

The circular further reads,"It has been observed that the recent resumption of work in the state judiciary has led to an upsurge in the number of staff and members of the public trooping into the court premises without strict compliance with COVID-19 protocols put in place by the state technical committee on COVID-19 particularly as it relates to categories of workers allowed to attend office.

"It is in view of the risks associated with such public gathering and the desire of the state government to ensure the prevention and curtailment of the spread of the dreaded coronavirus that His Lordship, the Chief Judge of Kwara state, in compliance with Kwara state technical committee on COVID-19 directs that all officers of the state judiciary below grade level 14 should as from Monday 13th July 2020 stay at and work from home while the remaining view essential officers that come to work should wear face masks, regularly wash and sanitise their hands and maintain reasonable social distancing."

Another notice pasted on the wall of the court indicates that the state judiciary will commence its annual vacation on August 3 and will last till September 21, 2020, signalling that the continuation of the Offa banks robbery trial has been stalled.

Recall that at the last sitting of the court on July 10, Justice Saleeman had adjourned till yesterday after taking evidence from one of the defendants, Azeez Salawu.

Salawu, had told the court how six suspects were killed in his presence by the policemen in Abuja.

He said that the policemen interrogating him did that purposely to coerce him to admit his alleged participation in the bank robbery attacks in Offa, where 18 people, including policemen, were reportedly killed.

They were taken away by the prison officials at 9.50 am when it was cleared that the court would not sit.

Source

 


Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Amosa     Saliu Alamoyo     Bankole Omishore     Obayomi Azeez     George Funsho Adebayo     Kamaldeen Gambari     Iyabo Adisa Ibiyeye     Saka Saadu     Unicontinental Construction Company     Elerin Of Adanla     Ilorin Metro Park     Kamaldeen Kehinde     Iyabo Dupe Adekeye     Oja-Oba     Amuda Bembe     Abdulrazaq Magaji     Budo Egba     Surajudeen Akanbi     Logun     Pilgrims Board     Lateef Ademola Olatunji     Sadiq Umar     Okin Biscuits     Esinniobiwa Quareeb     Cornelius Adebayo     Sunday Fagbemi     Olaiya Zuberu     Olota Of Odo-Owa     Balogun Gambari     Orire     Niyi Ogundiran     Medinat Folorunsho Salman     Isiaka Saka Opobiyi     Mashood Dauda     Idris Amosa Oladipo Saidu     Bayo Lawal     Riskat Opakunle     Chief Imam Of Offa     Akanji     Oko-Olowo     Babatunde Idiagbon     Erin-ile     Abubakar Bature Sulu-Gambari     Basic Education Certificate Examination     Gbajabiamila     Gbenga Awoyale     Olaitan Buraimoh     Ladi Hassan     Suleiman Alege Kuranga     Alore     Saliu Mustapha     Code Of Conduct Bureau     Kayode Oyin-Zubair     Alapansapa     Jimoh Bashir     Rafiu Ajakaye     Kola Bukoye     Binta Abubakar-Mora     Awodun     Femi Agbaje     Olusola Saraki     Sherif Shagaya     ASUU     Olatunji Bamgbola     Alapado     Oke-Kura     Eleja     Olaitan Adefila     Umar Adelodun     Ibrahim Bio     Afolabi-Oshatimehin     John Olajide Adedipe     Salman Jawondo     Alagbado     Agboola Abdulraheem     Javed Khan     Bibire Ajape    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Hamid Bobboyi     Ijagbo     Abdulrazaq Sanni     Abubakar B.M     Alliance For Democracy     Taiwo Joseph     Ajibola Ademola Julius     Bursary     Ahmad Ali     Kwara Consultative Forum     Sabi     Eleja Taiwo Banu     Salami Adekunle     Saka Keji     Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq     REO CAKES     Babatunde Idiagbon     Tunde Akanbi     Belgore     Abdul-Rasheed Na\'Allah     Umar Yakubu Jaja     Isau     Rasheed Jimoh     Mohammed Yisa     Kudirat Arinola Lawal     Zainab Abass     Bilikisu Gambari     Jimoh Lambe Abdulkareem     Toun Okewale-Sonaiya     Isin     Moshood Mustapha     Saka Balikis Kehinde     Issa Baba     Abiodun Oyedepo     Bahago     Baboko     Afusat Nike Ibrahim     Umar Ahmed Gunu     Saliu Oluwole     Kabir Shagaya     Samuel Adaramola     Abdullah Janet Amudat     Aliyu Olatunji Ajanaku     Mukhtar Shagaya     Seun Bolaji     Egbejila     Garba Ado Sanni     Buhari     AbdulFatai Adeniyi Dan-Kazeem     National Pilot     Abubakar Baba Sulaiman     Alaiye     Femi Agbaje     Yemi Osinbajo     Unicontinental Construction Company     Abubakar Abdullahi Bata     The Herald     Ayo Opadokun     Adam Abdullahi Al-Ilory     Agbarigidoma     Salman Jawondo     Toyosi Thomas     Babaloja-General     Dapo Teni Nig Enterprise     Gbajabiamila     Fatai Garuba Labaka     Senate Presidency     Kwarareports     Justina Oha     Olatinwo     Agbarere     Ballah     Saadu Gbogbo Iwe     Ibrahim Taiwo     Okin Malt     Valsolar Consultoria     Alfa Belgore