Offa Robbery Trial Stalled Again

Trial of the five accused persons in the Offa robbery case at an
Ilorin High Court was on Friday stalled again, as the new
prosecution team leader, Professor Wahab Egbewole SAN, asked for an
adjournment to enable him to study case file on the matter.

It is recalled that definite hearing on the matter could not
commence on January 7, 2019, as the prosecution failed to bring
witnesses who will testify in the case to the court.

Justice Halimat Salman of an Ilorin High Court, who castigated
the prosecution team in charge of the robbery case for unduly
prolonging the matter before her court, was apparently miffed by
another request for adjournment shortly after the case came up on
Friday due to the appearance of a new team leader for the
prosecution.

In her ruling, Justice Salman noted that the court only
reluctantly approved the request for an adjournment to enable the
prosecution counsel to study the case files and also for the
defence to have access to the video clips.

The presiding judge, who said that she was dissatisfied with the
prosecution on the frequent request for an adjournment in the case,
expressed concern that the court might be blamed for delaying the
case.

“I don’t like what is happening in this case. It is unfortunate
that the Attorney General did not give you (new prosecution team
leader), the file on time. I won’t want it that later the court
will be blamed for delay of the matter”, she said.

When the case came up for hearing, University of Ilorin
Professor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Wahab Egbewole
announced appearance for the prosecution which had hitherto been
led by either the state Attorney General and Commissioner for
Justice, Alhaji Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN) or the state Director of
Public Prosecution (DPP), Mr. Jimoh Mumini.

Egbewole, while asking for another adjournment, explained to the
court that he was only given the fiat of the matter on Thursday, at
about 7:00 pm and even though he spent the night perusing the
documents, he still needed to be well abreast of the case to offer
his best in the matter.

The senior advocate pledged not to make a further request for
adjournment as the case progresses, informing the court that his
team has only four witnesses to call which could be done with at
one sitting.

The defence counsel, Mathias Emeribe, who did not object to the
request for adjournment, however, asked the new prosecution team
leader to impress it on the police to make available to the
defence, a particular video clip in their custody which he said he
intends to use in prosecuting the case.

“The learned silk should impress it on the police to avail me of
the video evidence which they said they want to use in this case.
It is important that I study the video and bring it to the
attention of my clients so I can have a true picture of the
situation to enable me to enter a proper defence for them” he
said.

The matter was adjourned to Friday, January 25, 2019, for
definite hearing.

Five persons; Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola
Abraham, Salaudeen Azeez and Niyi Ogundiran are standing trial
before the court over their alleged involvement in the April 5,
2018 robbery during which 30 persons were killed.