Offa robbery: Court declines autopsy request for principal suspects

An Ilorin High Court on Monday refused to order for an autopsy for Michael Adikwu, a principal suspect in the bloody April 5 Offa robbery incident in which 33 people were killed.

Justice Halimat Salman, who accepted that the medical report of suspects injured in the incident could be conducted, refused the application for autopsy report on Adikwu as the prosecution had amended the charge sheet.

She also adjourned continuation of the defence of trial within trial till April 8.

The defence counsel, Mathias Emeribe, on Monday had prayed the court to order for the autopsy report of Adikwu and medical examination of the suspects at the resumed trial of the five accused persons in the Offa robbery case.

He had pleaded with the court that medical examination should be conducted to determine whether the wounds in the legs of the suspects was a product of gunshot as claimed by the suspects.

The defence counsel also applied for the autopsy of Adikwu to determine the cause of his death so as to find corroboration to the evidence of all the suspects.

According to him, since the police claimed that the suspects made voluntary confessional statement and were not tortured, medical examination should be conducted to know the truth.

Mr Emeribe, however, argued that the statements were not voluntarily taken.

But the prosecution counsel, Wahab Egbewole, objected to the application, describing it as baseless and pointless.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the five accused persons standing trial in connection with the robbery incident were Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salaudeen Azeez and Niyi Ogundiran.

NAN also reports that three suspects were injured on the legs while another suspect claimed the police tortured him to make false confession.

He claimed said the principal suspect, Adikwu, was shot dead by one Insp Vincent attached to the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT).

“I was beaten with plank on the head by the police to make false confession against myself; when I declined; they tied my legs and my hands and threatened to kill me if I refuse.

“I told them that I am an illiterate; when the police brought paper and biro for me to write my statement, the police wrote that I am one of the suspects of Offa robbery attack and asked me to thumb print.

“That was how I made confessional statement under duress,” the suspect said.

(NAN)