Offa Bank Robbery: Police Arraigns Hotel Owner, Staff, Guests

​BREAKING NEWS

Offa Bank Robbery: Police Arraigns Hotel Owner, Staff, Guests

The Proprietor of Xontec Hotel on Igosun Road, Offa, in the Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State, Mr. Kadir Surajudeen, and members of his staff have been arraigned before a Magistrate’s Court in Ilorin for failing to give police credible information on the gunmen who attacked some banks in the area.

Also arraigned were four guests who stayed in the hotel at the time the assailants allegedly lodged in Xontec Hotel.

The suspected armed robbers, who robbed five banks and killed scores of people on April 5, were alleged to have stayed in the hotel before going for the operation.

The suspects were arraigned on two counts of criminal conspiracy and causing disappearance of evidence, including giving false information.

According to the First Information Report, the offences contravened sections 97 and 167 of the Penal Code Law.

The report said, “On April 6, a team of operatives on investigation into the armed robbery attack extended their investigation based on intelligence gathering to the hotel on Igosun Road in Offa with a view to securing information that could assist discreet investigation into the crime.

“The hotel staff could not, however, satisfactorily give account of questionable lodgers in their hotel prior to the robbery by their failure to maintain or keep proper official lodger register expected to be presented to the police and other law enforcement agencies on demand.

“Others found in the hotel during the investigation failed to give credible information to the police operatives to assist in the investigation concerning their observation in the hotel within the period in question.”

The prosecutor, Mr. David Wodi, told the court that investigation into the case was ongoing.

The defence counsel, Joshua Ijaodola, pleaded with the court to admit the accused to bail pending the outcome of investigation.

He argued that the country’s constitution presumed the accused innocent until the contrary was proved.

The Magistrate, Mrs. M.B. Folorunso, in his ruling, granted the accused bail in the sum of N200,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

She then adjourned the case till May 3 for mention.

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Video Footage Of Offa Bank Robbery Surface (Watch)

​CRIME NEWS

Video Footage Of Offa Bank Robbery Surface (Watch)

An unverified footage of the Offa bank robbery, Wednesday surfaced on the internet from a Closed-Circuit Television, CCTV.

Recall that armed robbers had on Thursday, April 5, invaded five banks in Offa, Kwara State, killing scores of residents, including policemen, bank workers and passersby.

The four-minute video clip of the incident showed that the robbers struck at 4.41pm with a woman and her daughter entering into the bank as two men chatted at the door of the security post.

All of a sudden, there was chaos in the area as gunfire directed at the bank rent the air, sending everyone scampering for safety.

Two gunmen then emerged from the low fence gate of the bank, shooting into the security post, while someone returned fire from the inside.

The gunmen dodged behind the security post and waited for a few seconds.

The assailants jumped out of the bank premises from the back of the post and returned with more weapons, including what appeared like grenades.

While this was happening, a haze of smoke regularly drifted through the atmosphere, suspected to be the effects of the blowing up of the entrances with dynamite – as later alleged by security men and witnesses.

One of the gunmen tip-toed towards the door of the security post and attempted to throw a grenade into it, which exploded outside. He returned a second time and threw another grenade through the window, as he ran far for cover.

Thick ash smoke enveloped the security post as the grenade exploded. The suspects, apparently satisfied that the coast was clear, picked their bags and ran towards a place suspected to be the entrance into the main building.

The robbers kept running to and fro the bank compound with bags of what appeared to be money.

Watch video

https://www.facebook.com/newsbytesnow/videos/1437045916402184/

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Offa Bank Robbery: 10 Persons Including 4 Police Officers Confirmed Dead

​BREAKING NEWS

Offa Bank Robbery: 10 Persons Including 4 Police Officers Confirmed Dead

Ten persons have been confirmed dead, including four policemen after robbers invaded a commercial bank in Kwara State town of Offa yesterday.

It is reported that the bandits gained access to the town from Ijagbo, in the western end.

Eyewitnesses who recalled the deadly incident told our reporter on the telephone that “The robbers carted away substantial amount of money from the banks’ vaults.

“They blew open the security of the banks with dynamite. Many passers-by were hit by stray bullets. A commercial motorcyclist was among those killed.”

It was gathered that the bandits, numbering about 15, came in with about four vehicles. They blocked access to the town from Ilorin and Osogbo. They operated for about one hour from around 4:30pm.

The injured were taken to the Offa General Hospital.

Kwara State police Spokesman Ajayi Okasanmi who confirmed the raid, said, “victims included policemen and other individuals.”

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