Pilot Law

Offa Robbery Attack: Hotel operator, employees, others docked over lodgers’ record disappearance

 

By Kayode Adeoti

In a bid to unravel the mystery behind the robbery attack that claimed scores of lives in Offa, Offa Local Government Area, Kwara state, the Chief executive of the Xentox Hotel in the community, Kadir Surajudeen was docked by the Ilorin magistrate court on Tuesday.
Also dragged before Magistrate Mariam Bello Folorunsho was the facility accountant, Hassan Kehinde, the receptionist, Bello Baliqis, the hotel keeper, William Sunday and the club house operator, Ibrahim Tunde Yusuf.
The First Information Report revealed that the police operatives extended their investigation based on intelligent gathering to Xontex Hotel Igosun road, Offa with a view of gathering information that could assist discreet investigation into the crime.
The police report further stated that the management staff of the hotel could not satisfactorily give account of those who lodged in the hotel prior a day to the attack.
They were however charged for the offence of criminal conspiracy and causing disappearance of evidence or giving false information to screen an offender contrary to sections 97 and 167 of the penal code law.
“…could not satisfactorily give account of the questionable lodgers who lodged in the hotel prior to the robbery incident by their failure to maintain or keep proper official lodgers register expected to be presented to the police and other law enforcement agencies on demand.
Four lodgers; Adeniyi Akeem Oyewale, Babalola Sarafadeen, Mubaraq Onawole and Lateef Balogun all in Offa, Kwara State were also charged to court.
It was alleged that the lodgers could not give vivid account of why they were in the facility at that particular time.
The prosecutor, Inspector David Wodi however informed the court that investigation into the case was yet to be completed, even as he left the bail of the accused to the discretion of the court.
The defence counsel, Barrister Joshua Oluwaseun Ijaodola prayed the court to admit the accused to bail pending the outcome of investigation. He submitted that the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria still presumed the accused innocent of the allegation until contrary is proved.
Magistrate Folorunsho however exercised its bail discretion in favour of the accused and admitted them to bail each at the sum of N200,000 and two sureties in like sum.
The case was adjourned till May 3 for further mention.
Recall that on April 5, 2018, armed robbers attacked Offa police station and financial institutions in the community.
During the attack no fewer than 50 persons were reported dead including 9 police officers and banks staff.

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