Offa Bank Robbery: Police arraign hotel owner, workers, guests

The Proprietor of Xontec Hotel on Igosun Road, Offa, in the Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State, Mr. Kadir Surajudeen, and members of his staff have been arraigned before a Magistrate’s Court in Ilorin for failing to give police credible information on the gunmen who attacked some banks in the area.
Also arraigned were four guests who stayed in the hotel at the time the assailants allegedly lodged in Xontec Hotel.

The suspected armed robbers, who robbed five banks and killed scores of people on April 5, were alleged to have stayed in the hotel before going for the operation.

The suspects were arraigned on two counts of criminal conspiracy and causing disappearance of evidence, including giving false information.

According to the First Information Report, the offences contravened sections 97 and 167 of the Penal Code Law.

The report said, “On April 6, a team of operatives on investigation into the armed robbery attack extended their investigation based on intelligence gathering to the hotel on Igosun Road in Offa with a view to securing information that could assist discreet investigation into the crime.

“The hotel staff could not, however, satisfactorily give account of questionable lodgers in their hotel prior to the robbery by their failure to maintain or keep proper official lodger register expected to be presented to the police and other law enforcement agencies on demand.

“Others found in the hotel during the investigation failed to give credible information to the police operatives to assist in the investigation concerning their observation in the hotel within the period in question.”

The prosecutor, Mr. David Wodi, told the court that investigation into the case was ongoing.

The defence counsel, Joshua Ijaodola, pleaded with the court to admit the accused to bail pending the outcome of investigation.

He argued that the country’s constitution presumed the accused innocent until the contrary was proved.

The Magistrate, Mrs. M.B. Folorunso, in his ruling, granted the accused bail in the sum of N200,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

She then adjourned the case till May 3 for mention.

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