Offa Banks Robbery: I was tortured, promised handsome reward to implicate Saraki – Suspect reveals

…narrates true story of how principal suspect, Adikwu was killed in custody

…he died of typhoid fever – Police

By Kayode Adeoti

One of the five suspects facing trial over their alleged involvement in the Offa banks robbery incident, Ayoade Akinnibosun, last Friday made a shocking revelation on how he was tortured and promised handsome reward to implicate the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki in his confessional statement.

Akinnibosun who is known as AY stated this during his trial before Justice Halima Salman of the Kwara State High Court, sitting in Ilorin.

Akinnibosun and two other suspects; Ibikunle Ogunleye and Adeola Abraham were examined and cross examined by their counsel, Mathias Emeribe and prosecution counsel, Razaq Gold, in a trial-within-trial on how they were allegedly tortured and threatened by the police to make confessional statements.

The trial-within-trial was coming on the heels of the lead prosecuting counsel; Prof. Wahab Egbewole, SAN, who sought to tender the suspects’ statements as exhibit but was objected by the defence counsel, Mathias Emeribe

Emeribe submitted that the statements were not voluntarily obtained; saying they fell short of the provisions of the Evidence Act particularly sections 28 and 29.

Recall that the prosecution witness, Inspector Hitila Hassan, had on Thursday told the court that the suspects voluntarily gave their statements under his supervision.

Hassan noted further that the principal suspect, Michael Adikwu died naturally saying malaria and typhoid killed the dismissed police officer.

Akinnibosun in his testimony said, “Abba Kyari, (Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP) told me to say that the Senate President gave me the guns we used for the operations. But I declined.

“He promised that they would reward me handsomely and set me free if I could indict Saraki. When I disagreed, they asked some policemen to take me back to the cell. During this time, my hands were tied to my legs.”

The suspect also told the trial judge that six hefty stones were placed on his back and denied food for nearly one week while he was being tortured.

He said he was kept with his colleagues inside generator room which according to him is called ‘theatre room’ by the police saying the apartment doubles as a place where suspects are extra-judicially executed.

Afterwards, he said he was shown an already written statement which he was asked to sign and he agreed to do so, for fear of being killed.

The suspect insisted that whatever he said during the press conference was written for him to memorise and confess to the public.

He added that the statement was made under duress as the police warned him against implicating them.

Akinnibosun informed the court that he was given a four-page statement to sign but he could not because his fingers were not functioning due to torture.

He said one of his fingers was placed on the documents for thumb printing and his request to read and go through the statement was turned down.

After giving his testimony, the suspect was cross examined by the prosecution counsel.

Meanwhile, the defence counsel, Mathias Emeribe, asked for further medical checkup to determine if the wounds Akinnibosun sustained were truly from gunshots.

Ogunleye and Ibrahim who were also docked gave graphic details of their alleged horrifying experience in police custody at the force headquarters in Abuja.

During one of their encounters at the police IRT ‘theatre room,’ they said in their presence Inspector Vincent allegedly shot dead five Fulani men.

They added that it was in the same ‘theatre room that Inspector Vincent otherwise known as ‘Mr. Torture,’ allegedly shot dead Michael Adikwu for failing to indict other suspects in the robbery incident.

According to Ogunleye, “they brought the late Adikwu to implicate us and he said he had not met any of us in his life that is why Mr. Torture shot him to death.”

The trial Judge, Justice Halimat Salman adjourned the case to March 25, 2019 for continuation of trial within trial.