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.
Ahmad Lawan Makama GANZY Afetu Of Alabe Yahaya Muhammad Ogidi-Oloje Sobi Olayinka Jelili Yusuf Sheu Ndanusa Usman Cassava Growers\' Association Owo Isowo Saad Omo Iya Samari Shettima Idowu Laro Elelu Balogun Ajikobi KWASAA Societe Generale Bank Of Nigeria Ahmed Shuaib Buranga Sarah Alade Share Shao Oya State Bello John Olanrewaju Tunde Idiagbon Road Sulyman Abdulkareem Alaro Chemiroy Nigeria Limited GGDSS Pakata Haashim Initiative For Community Advancement NURTW Mahmud Babatunde Baker Alliance For Democracy Ajayi Okasanmi Timothy Olatunde Fadipe Women For Change And Development Initiative National Pilot Lithium Olatunde Olukoya Yahaya Dumoye Voices Of Tomorrow Adesoye Bamidele Adegoke Musa Yeketi Akande Idowu Ayoola Muhammed Sherif Shagaya CCT Local Government Labaeka Clara Nwachukwu Government High School (GHS), Adeta Leke Ogungbe Aliyu Salihu Okeose Christian Cementary Facebook Dauda Adeniran Adeshola Muhammed Aliyu Isiaka Oniwa Centre For Digital Economy Kwara South Sulyman Atolagbe Alege Umar Ayinla Saro Ethical College Olaiya Zuberu Kola Shittu Abdulhakeem Adelaja Amao Bello Abubakar Amuda Bembe Abdulazeez Uthman Ilorin Water Reticulation Funmilayo Mohammed Abdulmajeed Wahab Abiodun Abdulkareem Babatunde Idiagbon Baboko Primary School Lawal Olohungbebe

