Appeal Court rejects stay of proceedings in Offa robbery case

The Court of Appeal in Kwara State has rejected the stay of proceedings in two separate appeals in the Offa robbery case, ruling that there is no reason to stay proceedings in criminal matters.
   
However, the court, presided over by Justice Ridwan Abdullahi, granted the application for abridgement of time within which the appellants should file their reply brief.
   
Following the decision, the High Court will continue proceedings on the Offa robbery case today, November 5, 2026.
   
The first appeal, Appeal No. CA/IL/4C/2026 was the matter between Yusuf Abdulwahab versus The People of Kwara State, the former Senate President, Olubukola Saraki; former Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed; and Ahmed’s former political aide, Alabi Olalekan.
   
The second, with Appeal No. CA/IL/93C/2026, is between Alabi Olalekan and the People of Kwara State, the former Senate President, Olubukola Saraki; the former Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, and Ahmed’s former Chief of Staff, Yusuf Abdulwahab.
   
Both appeals have the same appearances and the same positions.
   
Leading the appellants’ team during the court proceedings on Tuesday, Jimoh Mumini, SAN, after introducing the appeal, informed the court that the appellants were served with the respondent’s brief on November 2, 2026.
   
Therefore, he prayed for abridgement of time within which to file a brief in four days, and further applied for a stay of proceedings in the matter before the trial court.
   
Responding, Rafiu Balogun, SAN, submitted that the 1st respondent had no objection to the abridgement of time to reply, but opposed the application on the ground that it was unknown to criminal matters.
  
He further submitted that the appeal was an attempt to frustrate the progress of the matter before the trial court. He then urged the court to refuse the application.
   
For his part, Kehinde Eleja, SAN, said he had no objection to the two applications and urged the court to enforce Section 15 of the Courts Act to order a stay of proceedings, arguing that continuing the proceedings before the trial court may render the appeal nugatory.