The Kwara State High Court is ramping up security measures ahead of its verdict in the highly publicized Offa robbery case, scheduled for Thursday. The Judiciary has announced the deployment of additional security personnel to the court headquarters to ensure safety during the proceedings.
In a press release from the Media and Information Unit of the Kwara State High Court, officials stated that access to the court premises will be closely monitored by a combined team of security operatives. Staff members have been instructed to display their identity cards at all times to facilitate identification by security personnel.
The statement emphasized the importance of adhering to these security protocols to prevent any access denial. It read: “The management of Kwara State Judiciary wishes to inform staff that the High Court headquarters will be barricaded as the judgment in this significant criminal case is set to be announced tomorrow, Thursday, September 26, 2024.”
The management has reiterated that compliance with these directives is mandatory, stating, “Security personnel have been instructed to enforce these regulations strictly.”
In July, the presiding judge had accepted the final written addresses from both sides, with Rotimi Jacob (SAN) representing the state and Mathew Emeribe for the defense. The prosecution and defense teams presented their arguments consecutively on various legal points.
Originally scheduled for August 2, 2024, the verdict was postponed due to the #EndBadGovernance protests.
The robbery in question occurred in April 2018 when armed robbers invaded Offa, targeting at least five commercial banks. The incident resulted in the deaths of about 33 individuals, including nine police officers, and involved the theft of a significant but undisclosed amount of money from the banks.
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