How we killed 11 persons, by Offa bank robbery suspects

Four suspects of the April 5, 2018 bank robbery in Offa, Kwara State, yesterday told an Ilorin High Court how they killed 11 persons during the incident.

The suspects – Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Azeez Salawu and Niyi Ogundiran – were all in court.

At the resumed hearing of the case yesterday, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacob, called the seventh witness, Inspector John Nwoke, who is the cinematographer attached to the Force Public Relations Unit, Abuja.

Nwoke presented a video to the open court that contained the confessional statements of the defendants.

All but one of the defendants, Aknnibosun, said they shot dead 11 persons, who were hauling stones and other things at them.

Akinnibosun narrated how a dismissed police officer, Michael Adikwu (now the late), sold the robbery idea to him, adding that he in turn conscripted the other four suspects for the deal.

Claiming to be the ringleader in the video, Akinnibosun revealed that he owned the two vehicles used for the bloody robbery operation.

He said the then Kwara State governor gave him one of the vehicles, a Lexus Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), as he was the leader of Political Liberation Movement in Kwara South.

“I came in contact with the dismissed policeman (Adikwu) through a revenue collection employee. After the meeting with Adikwu, I relayed to Ogunleye, who also relayed same to Abraham (known as Adex). Salawu and Ogundiran are both mechanics.

“On April 5, 2018, the five of us moved from Oro, Irepodun Council of the state, to Ajase-Ipo where we parked the SUV under a tree and we all drove in the Mercedes Benz to Offa. At Offa, we parked in front of the Total filling station where the late Adikwu was waiting for us in a black Audi car,” he said.

He disclosed that Adikwu handed him a sack to containing five AK-47 rifles.

“As the commander of my gang, I distributed the guns and directed every member to take his position. I positioned myself at the roundabout leading to Igosun from Offa.

“After the robbery, Adikwu did not give us a dime. He only promised to call me when it is time to share the loot.

Ogunleye (the second defendant) said he was traditionally positioned at the First Bank premises before Adikwu dragged him to Offa police station.

He added that he shot dead two people who were trying to escape at the gate of the police station.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Haleemah Salman, adjourned the case till March 15 for the continuation of trial.