Breaking: Offa robbery case stalled, as father of slain police officer dies

DEFINITE hearing of the case involving five accused persons arrested in connection with deadly bank robbery in Offa, Kwara state was on Monday stalled at a Kwara state High Court in Ilorin.

Justice Halima Salman, who had fixed Monday, January 7, 2019, for definite hearing of the case, was informed that inability of the police to produce witnesses and exhibits before the court brought about the development.

Addressing the court, the Kwara state Director Public Prosecution, Jimoh Mumini, said that he had made three telephone calls to the police headquarters in Abuja before he was assured only yesterday that the witnesses and the exhibits would be brought to Kwara state on Monday (yesterday).

He also told the court that the Deputy commissioner of police, Abba Kyari, who led the investigation, had pleaded with him to urge the court to vacate the order of definite hearing earlier fixed for Monday since the witnesses could not make it on time.

Thus, Justice Halima Salman adjourned the definite hearing of the case to January 18, 2019.

Speaking with journalists after the court sitting, the Director of Public Prosecution, Jimoh Mumini, said that the best witnesses for the prosecution of the case would have been people from Offa who witnessed what happened on that day and not just policemen who investigated the incident.

He said there was no witness from Offa from the diary he had with him.

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The defence counsel, Mathias Emeribe, did not object to the plea and also agreed with the prosecution that the case be adjourned till January 18.

Emeribe requested that he should be served with the necessary statements by the witnesses so that he would not be “ambushed”.

Meanwhile, father of a female police officer, Mrs Yemisi Makinde, killed by armed bandits on April 5, 2018, Offa robbery attack has been reported dead in Ilorin at the weekend.

Late Mrs Makinde, nee Oyeyemi, was one of the nine police officers gunned down by the armed robbers in the incident.

Late Oyeyemi, a retired Inspector in the Nigeria Police Force, who hailed from Agbonda town, Irepodun local government council area of the state, reportedly fell sick immediately after the untimely death of his daughter.

It was gathered that the late Mr Oyeyemi, who had been in serious agony since the death of his daughter, died at his country home, Upper Gaa Akanbi area, of Ilorin exactly nine months after his daughter was killed during the armed robbery attack in Offa.

A relation of the deceased said that Mr Oyeyemi developed high blood pressure due to the shock of his daughter’s death.

It was also gathered that all the drugs he had been using to manage the ailment failed to achieve the desired change, a development that complicated his sickness at the weekend and ultimately claimed his life.

The source also said that the remains of the deceased had been deposited at the mortuary of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital Complex, UITHC, Ilorin.

It is recalled that about 33 residents of the town including officers of the Nigeria Police Force were killed during the attack.

The five suspected armed robbers are currently facing trial at the Ilorin High Court over the attack.