This Week in Nigerian Crime History: The Offa Bank Robbery This Week in Nigerian Crime History: The Offa Bank Robbery — One of the Deadliest Heists in Nigeria On Thursday, 5 April 2018, Offa, Kwara State, witnessed one of the most devastating armed robbery attacks in Nigeria’s recent history. What began as a coordinated robbery quickly became a massacre. Armed men first attacked the Offa Divisional Police Headquarters, engaged officers in a gun battle, broke into the armoury and took firearms and ammunition before attacking banks across the town. According to police investigations, 21 AK-47 rifles belonging to the Nigeria Police Force were taken from the armoury. The attackers were heavily armed and prepared for a prolonged operation. The cost was devastating. Police later stated that 33 people had been killed, including nine police officers and civilians. Pregnant women were among those reportedly killed. After overrunning the police station, the gang moved against financial institutions. Reports linked First Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, Ecobank, Zenith Bank, Union Bank and Ibolo Microfinance Bank to the operation. Explosives, reportedly including dynamite, were used to break into the banks. Gunfire and explosions sent residents into panic as ordinary people were caught in the violence. The investigation began. By June 2018, police said 22 suspects were in custody. Five men were identified as principal suspects: Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez and Niyi Ogundiran. Another suspect was Michael Adikwu, a former police constable, whom investigators linked to the operation through CCTV footage and other evidence. Adikwu died in police custody in November 2018 before he could stand trial. His death became controversial. A defendant later alleged that Adikwu had been deliberately killed and that suspects were pressured into making confessional statements. These were allegations made during the proceedings, not established facts. The police position was that Adikwu died while in detention. The investigation also acquired a political dimension. Police announced that some suspects claimed they were political thugs associated with powerful political figures in Kwara State. They allegedly mentioned the Youth Liberation Movement, popularly called the “Good Boys,” and made claims involving firearms, money and vehicles. A prominent politician was invited for questioning but denied the allegations and any connection to the robbery. The five surviving suspects were arraigned before the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin in November 2018. They pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy, armed robbery, culpable homicide and illegal possession of firearms. The trial dragged on for years because of repeated delays, court assignments, strikes and difficulties involving witnesses. By 2022, Offa residents were demanding an end to the prolonged proceedings. On 26 September 2024, Justice Haleemah Salman of the Kwara State High Court found five defendants guilty of offences including armed robbery, culpable homicide and illegal possession of firearms. They were sentenced to death by hanging. In January 2026, the Court of Appeal sitting in Ilorin dismissed the convicts’ appeal and affirmed the death sentences. Ayoade Akinnibosun, Salawudeen Azeez, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Niyi Ogundiran and Adeola Abraham remained in custody under the sentences. Their legal team indicated that an appeal to the Supreme Court was being considered. The Offa robbery remains one of the darkest chapters in Nigerian crime history: a story of money, weapons, explosives, political controversy, institutional vulnerability, prolonged justice and, above all, human lives lost. 📚 Our book, “The Theater of Blood,” is still available. Send a DM for your hardcopy — next-day delivery 📦 WhatsApp 09010030287 #Historylovers
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