By ACP Jimoh Moshood, Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The investigation into the Offa Bank Robbery and gruesome killings of more than THIRTY THREE (33) Innocent persons in Offa, Kwara State on the 5th April, 2018 directed by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, NPM, mni, has made significant progress, successes and more revelations have been recorded.
The Gang Leaders and some of the principal suspects arrested for their active participation in the robbery and the killing of innocent persons have made confessional statements admitting to the various criminal roles they and their sponsors played in this dastard and heinous crime.
2. The Five (5) gang leaders namely; Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibukunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran and some of the other Seventeen (17) suspects arrested for direct involvement and active participation in the Offa Bank Robbery and the gruesome killing of THIRTY THREE (33) innocent persons which includes (some pregnant women and nine (9) Police personnel) admitted, confessed and volunteered statements that they were political thugs of the Senate President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sen. Bukola Saraki and the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Alh. Abdulfatah Ahmed.
3. The arrests of the above mentioned Five (5) Gang Leaders and seventeen (17) others were made possible after the arrest of two principal suspects (Kunle Ogunleye aka Arrow 35yrs and Michael Adikwu an Ex-Convict) whose pictures captured by CCTV in one of the Banks during the Banks robbery were circulated to the media and the public. The two (2) principal suspects confessed to be among the suspects led by the five (5) gang leaders listed in paragraph 2 above to carry out the Offa Banks Robbery, the attack on the Divisional Police Headquarters, Offa and the killings of THIRTY THREE (33) innocent persons on the 5th of April, 2018.
4. During interrogation, the five (5) gang leaders mentioned in paragraph 2 further confessed and volunteered statements that they carried out the Bank Robberies, the attack on the Divisional Police Headquarters in Offa and the killings of THIRTY THREE (33) innocent persons during the robbery of the following six (6) banks (i) First Bank Offa (ii) Guarantee Trust Bank Offa (iii) ECO Bank Offa (iv) Zenith Bank Offa (v) Union Bank Offa (vi) Ibolo Micro Finance Bank Offa and (vii) the Divisional Police Headquarters, Offa on 5thApril, 2018.
5. Millions of Naira from the Banks and Twenty One (21) AK47 Rifles belonging to the Nigeria Police Force in the Armoury of the Police Divisional Headquarters, Offa were admitted to have been carted away by the Five (5) gang leaders and the other Seventeen (17) principal suspects during the Banks robbery.
6. The Five (5) gang leaders confessed and volunteered statements to the Police investigators, giving a clear account of how they planned and carried out the Banks robbery operation in Offa, the attack on the Police Division in Offa and how they killed the THIRTY THREE (33) innocent persons during the robbery.
7 The Five (5) gang leaders further confessed during investigation that they are political thugs under the name Youth Liberation Movement a.k.a “Good Boys” admitted and confessed to have been sponsored with firearms, money and operational vehicles by the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki and the Governor of Kwara State, Alh. Abdulfatah Ahmed.
8. In the course of discreet investigation into the confessions of these five (5) gang leaders and the other seventeen (17) principal suspects, a Lexus jeep GX-300 (Ash Colour) with a sticker plate number with inscription “SARAKI” “Kwara, State of Harmony” used by the gang leader (Ayoade Akinnibosun ‘M’ 37Yrs) during the bank robbery and the killing of the THIRTY THREE (33) innocent persons was taken to Government House, Ilorin on 16th May, 2018 where the sticker plate number with inscription “SARAKI” “Kwara, State of Harmony” was removed before another plate number (Reg. No. Kwara, KMA 143 RM) registered in the name of Ayoade AKinnibosun the Overall Commander of the Offa Bank Robbery was then attached to the vehicle to cover up the identity of the said vehicle. The exhibit vehicle was subsequently recovered from the premises of the Min. of Environmental and Forestry in Ilorin, Kwara State. While the sticker plate number with inscription “SARAKI” “Kwara, State of Harmony” removed from the vehicle was recovered from one Adeola Omiyale who drove the said Lexus Jeep to Government House, Ilorin immediately after the Bank Robbery.
9. The Personal Assistant (Political) to the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mr. Alabi Olalekan, who is privy to information that the Police is looking for the Lexus Jeep as an exhibit used in the Offa Bank Robbery and the killings of THIRTY THREE (33) innocent persons directed one Adeola Omiyale to relocate the Lexus Jeep to Government House, Ilorin. The PA (Political) is currently in Police custody and has made useful statement assisting the Police in further investigation into the case. A revolver pistol and pump action gun were recovered by the Police Investigation Team from the Personal Assistant (Political) to the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mr. Alabi Olalekan’s Farm where he directed his brother to hide them after his arrest by the Police.
10. In order to conceal evidence, the Chief of Staff to the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mr. Yusuf Abdulwahab who has been arrested and taken into Police custody, arranged the removal of the sticker plate number with inscription “SARAKI” “Kwara, State of Harmony” from the exhibit vehicle and also registered the exhibit Lexus Jeep used in the Offa Bank Robbery and the killings of THIRTY THREE (33) innocent persons in the name of Ayoade AKinnibosun, the overall Gang Commander of the Offa Bank Robbery while the Ayoade AKinnibosun was already in Police custody for more than six (6) days before the registration of the vehicle.
11. Investigation is ongoing and effort is being intensified to arrest other suspects still at large. All suspects involved will be arraigned in court for prosecution on completion of investigation.
12. Meanwhile, the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki is being invited by the Nigeria Police Force to report to the Force Intelligence Response Team office at Guzape, Abuja to answer to the allegations levelled against him from the confessions of the Five (5) Gang Leaders, namely; Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibukunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran and some of the other Seventeen (17) suspects arrested for direct involvement and active participation in the Offa Bank Robbery and the gruesome killing of THIRTY THREE (33) innocent persons which includes (some pregnant women and nine (9) Police personnel).
13. The Nigeria Police Force will continue to ensure that the rule of law prevails in every case under Police investigation and every offender is brought to justice.
The 22 suspects:
i. Ayoade Akinnibosun a.k.a AY ‘M’ 37Yrs – Gang Leader (Coordinated the Killings) From Oro, Irepodun LGA, Kwara State.
ii. Ibukunle Ogunleye ‘M’ 36Yrs – Gang Leader, Killed Two (2) Persons. From Oro, Irepodun LGA, Kwara State
iii. Adeola Abraham ‘M’ 35Yrs – Gang Leader, Killed Five (5) Persons. From Oro, Irepodun LGA, Kwara State.
iv. Salawudeen Azeez ‘M’ 49Yrs – Gang Leader, Killed Two (2) Persons. From Oro, Irepodun LGA, Kwara State.
v. Niyi Ogundiran ‘M’ 37Yrs – Gang Leader, Killed Two (2) Persons (Latest Confession). From Oro, Irepodun LGA, Kwara State.
vi. Michael Adikwu ‘M’ 30Yrs – Sectional Gang Leader, Killed Twenty Two (22) Persons, mostly at the Police Station.
vii. Kabiru Afolabi ‘M’ 26Yrs – Principal Suspect
viii. Omoseni Kassim ‘M’ 28Yrs – Principal Suspect
ix. Kayode Opadokun ‘M’ 35Yrs – Principal Suspect
x. Kazeem Abdulrasheed ‘M’ 36Yrs – Principal Suspect
xi. Azeez Abdullahi ‘M’ 27Yrs – Principal Suspect
xii. Adewale Popoola ‘M’ 22Yrs – Principal Suspect
xiii. Adetoyese Muftau ‘M’ 23Yrs – Principal Suspect
xiv. Alexander Reuben ‘M’ 39Yrs – Principal Suspect
xv. Richard Buba Terry ‘M’ 23Yrs – Principal Suspect
xvi. Peter Jasper Kuunfa ‘M’ 23Yrs – Principal Suspect
xvii. Ikechukwu Ebuka Nnaji ‘M’ 29Yrs – Principal Suspect
xviii. Moses Godwin ‘M’ 28Yrs – Principal Suspect
xix. Adeola omiyale ‘M’ 38Yrs. From Isanlu Isin Town, Isin LGA, Kwara State.
xx. Femi Idowu ‘M’ 34Yrs
xxi. Alabi Olalekan ‘M’ 49Yrs-PA Political to Executive Governor, Kwara State
xxii. Yusuf Abdulwahab ‘M’ 58Yrs –Chief of Staff to Executive Governor, Kwara State
Exhibits:
i. Two (2) AK47 Rifles
ii. Two (2) Barrette Pistols
iii. One (1) Pump Action Rifle
iv. One (1) Revolver Pistol – In Police Custody in Ilorin
v. Lexus RX300 Jeep with Reg. No. Kwara, KMA 143 RM belonging to Ayoade Akinnibosun (Gang Leader) – Used for the Bank Robbery
vi. Mercedes Benz – Compressor with Reg. No. Lagos LT496 KJA belonging to Ayoade Akinnibosun (Gang Leader) – Used for the Bank Robbery
vii. One (1) Toyota Prado Jeep with Reg. No. 19KWGH belonging to the PA Political to the Executive Governor, Kwara State – In Police Custody in Ilorin
viii. One (1) Toyota Camry Saloon Car with Reg. No. LRN 481 FE – In Police Custody in Ilorin
ix. The Cash Sum of Six Hundred Thousand Naira (N600,000.00) – In Police Custody in Ilorin
x. Four (4) Phones of victims recovered
xi. One (1) Sticker plate number with inscription “SARAKI” “Kwara, State of Harmony”