The Court of Appeal, sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, has upheld the death sentences of five men convicted over the April 2018 Offa bank robbery, dismissing their appeals and ordering their immediate return to custody. The appellate ruling was delivered on Friday, January 30, 2026.
A court official who witnessed the proceedings said the three‑member panel comprising Hon. Justice Ridwan Maiwada Abdullahi JCA, Hon. Justice Gabriel Kolawole JCA and Hon.
Justice Abdul Dogo unanimously affirmed the judgement of the Kwara State High Court that sentenced the convicts to death by hanging.
According to the official, the appellate court rejected all grounds of appeal filed by the convicts, declaring they lacked merit and reaffirmed that the original conviction and sentence should stand.
“The court dismissed all their grounds of appeal and upheld their convictions. They have been taken back to prison,” the official said.
The five convicts whose sentences were upheld are Ayoade Akinnibosun, Azeez Salahudeen, Niyi Ogundiran, Ibikunle Ogunleye and Adeola Adeola Abraham. They were found guilty of armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms and culpable homicide.
A sixth suspect, Michael Adikwu, a retired police officer, died in custody before the trial commenced.
The convictions stem from a coordinated attack on five commercial banks in Offa Local Government Area, during which at least 32 people were killed, including nine police officers, two of whom were women, making the incident one of the deadliest bank robberies in Nigeria’s history.
The trial before the Kwara State High Court lasted about six years and attracted nationwide attention. Justice Haleemah Saleeman, who presided over the trial, held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt before sentencing the convicts to death by hanging.
She also imposed three‑year prison terms for illegal possession of firearms in line with Nigeria’s penal laws.
Lead prosecution counsel, Barrister Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), described the appellate court’s decision as thorough and well considered, despite the delays that marked the proceedings.
Defence counsel Barrister Abdullah Jimba said preparations were underway to pursue a final appeal to the Supreme Court, indicating that the convicts still retain the right to escalate the matter to the apex court.
The appellate court’s decision represents a critical development in the legal process surrounding one of Nigeria’s most notorious violent crimes, while highlighting the judiciary’s role in adjudicating prolonged and high‑profile criminal cases.
