Offa robbery: Hotelier, others docked for conspiracy

The police yesterday arraigned the proprietor and some staff of a hotel where the suspected armed robbers that robbed banks and killed many people in Offa, Kwara state on April 5th, lodged.

The owner of the hotel was arraigned on a two-count charge before a magistrate’s court in Ilorin, the state capital, along with the accountant, a receptionist, a room keeper and a club house operator, as well as four lodgers.

The police told the court that shortly after the robbery attack in which over 20 people were killed, they acted on a tip-off and visited the hotel. The police told the court that the hotel staff could not satisfactorily give account of questionable lodgers in their hotel prior to the robbery incident. They failed to maintain or keep proper official lodgers’ 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 police First Information Report (FIR) stated.

The prosecutor, Inspector David Wodi, told the court that investigation into the case was yet to be completed.

Upon an application for bail which was unopposed by the prosecution, the magistrate, Mrs M.B. Folorunso, granted bail to the accused persons in the sum of N200,000 each with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case till May 3rd for further mention.