By Austin Ogwuda
AFTER six years of trial, Kwara State High Court has sentenced to death five of robbery suspects who were involved in the bloody bank robbery at Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria, in which over 30 people including about nine Policemen were murdered in cold blood.
They are Ayoade Akinnibosun, Azeez Salahudeen, Niyi Ogundiran, Ibikunle Ogunleye, and Adeola Abraham.
Justice Haleema Saliman of the Kwara State High Court while delivering judgment that lasted about three hours on Thursday, stated that “The five of you will be hanged by the neck until you are dead. And may the Lord have mercy on your souls.
“It is however unfortunate that we are witnessing these five able bodied men who had all the opportunities to better their lots by living decently.
“And some of them were connected to the powers that be but they allowed that opportunity to enter their heads and became smart by running afoul of the law and think they would get away with it forgetting that Nigeria is still a country where the rule of law operates.
“Their lives cannot be more important than the tens of lives lost in the robbery and murder incident. The court has applied man-made law but vengeance is of God”.
Recall that during the six-year trial which began in 2018, a Police Officer who was the principal suspect, one Michael Adikwu was reported to have died in Police custody.
Source: Daily Trust