By Demola Akinyemi

The Offa Community in Kwara State has urged the state government to expedite the execution of the recent court judgment on the armed robbers who attacked commercial banks in the town on April 5, 2018.

The community is also calling for a deeper investigation into the case, citing concerns about the omission of certain individuals allegedly involved in the crime.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Chairman of the Offa Descendants Union (ODU), Alhaji Olanrewaju Shittu, alongside other executives, expressed dissatisfaction with the police investigation. The community believes that key figures named by the convicted robbers during the trial, who were allegedly responsible for supplying weapons and logistics, were not adequately addressed in the judgment.

Last week, Justice Haleemah Salman of the Kwara State High Court sentenced five men—Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salahudeen Azeez, and Niyi Ogundiran—to death by hanging for their roles in the gruesome robbery. The 2018 attack claimed the lives of 33 people, including police officers and pregnant women, and resulted in the theft of millions of naira.

While the ODU welcomed the death sentence for the culprits, they insisted the investigation was “incomplete and an attempt to cover and protect the names of those who were identified by the robbers during the investigation.” The community is calling on the police and state government to resume investigations and bring all individuals involved, including those who provided vehicles and other logistics, to justice.

In a statement addressed to the Commissioner of Police, the ODU leadership emphasized that Offa would not rest until full justice is served. They demanded a thorough and extended investigation, urging the government to address “all factors, notions, and personalities” involved in the case to remove any impression that the investigation was inadequate.

The community reaffirmed their commitment to pursuing justice and ensuring that all those involved in the tragic incident are held accountable.

“This is Offa Community’s Unnegotiable Demand and Prayer,” the statement concluded.