Justice Haleemah Salman of the Kwara State High Court has convicted five suspects involved in the notorious Offa robbery of April 2018.
The court found them guilty of illegal possession of firearms, armed robbery, and culpable homicide, with the offences carrying a death penalty.
Delivering the verdict, which took three and a half hours, Justice Salman highlighted that the evidence presented by the prosecution was compelling. For the charge of illegal possession of firearms, the court sentenced the defendants to three years in prison.
Following the ruling, the prosecution counsel addressed journalists, noting that delays in the trial were influenced by factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and national assignments given to the judge.
Meanwhile, the defence counsel announced plans to appeal the judgment, indicating their intention to challenge the court’s decision in a higher court.
