Offa bank robbery: Suspects trial stalled over security threat

From Oluseyi Dasilva Ilorin

A high court handling the trial of five accused persons over the Offa robbery saga went into an abrupt adjournment yesterday over what the it described as security threat.
An Ilorin High Court in Kwara state was looking into matters involving the five accused over their alleged involvement in the April 5th Offa robbery incident, but abruptly adjourned matters yesterday till March 15, 2019.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Halima Saleeman raised the security alarm when the defense counsel, Mr. Matthias Emeribe was about to open his defence in a trial within trial during which the Chief of Staff to Kwara State Government, Babatunde Abdulwahab , P.A Political Lekan Alabi , Adeola Omiyale and one other were mentioned by the prosecution witness.
Justice Saleeman noted that the security report was not favourable to both the court, counsels, accused persons and other observers, hence the need to adjourn the matters.
The accused persons standing trial in the case included ,Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salaudeen Azeez as well as Niyi Ogundiran, who were all brought before the court under a new amended five count charges.
Lead in his evidence in chief by the Prosecution Counsel, Professor Wahab Egbewole,the prosecution witness , Inspector Etila Hassan said the Kwara State Government officials were mentioned in the written statements of the first accused persons.
He explained that all the accused persons voluntarily offered their statements without being coerced .
Inspector Etila noted that it was the accused persons that sought for his attention to take their statements while in police custody.
However, the Defence Counsel Mr Matthias Emeribe had objected to the admissibility of written statements of the accused persons , saying it was not given voluntarily.