2 docked, remanded over alleged bank robbery

Romanus Okoye

Two applicants, John Akpan, 36, and Abati Babalola, 39 were yesterday docked before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court over alleged robbery and later remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre.

The Magistrate, Mrs A. O.O. Fajana, who did not take the plea of the defendants, ordered the prosecution to send the case file to the Lagos State Department of Public Prosecutions (DPPs) for legal advice and adjourned the case until December 7 for hearing.

Earlier, the police prosecutor, Sgt. Kenrich Nomayo, had alleged that the defendants armed themselves and robbed some people suspected to be bank users of their valuables, value yet unknown.

Nomayo told the court that the defendants committed the offence with others still at large on August 8 at about 8.30 p. m. in Ajegunle, Lagos. He said that the defendants robbed the people after they had withdrawn cash from a bank’s Automated Teller Machine (ATM).

“The defendants armed themselves with an SMG riffle, 20 rounds of unexpended ammunition, one locally-made gun with seven live ammunition and three magazines, robbed innocent citizens coming out of the bank of their valuables. The police was alerted and the defendants were apprehended,” the prosecutor said.

The prosecutor said that the alleged offences contravened Sections 297(1) (2) (a) (b) and 299 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015, (Revised).