Robbery: Man, 21, to die by hanging in Ekiti

Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti

Ekiti State High Court, Ado-Ekiti, yesterday sentenced a 21-year old man, Isa Abdulkareem, to death by hanging, for robbery. The convict, according to the prosecutor, committed the offence, which contravened Section 402 subsection 2 of the Criminal Code Cap C16, Laws of Ekiti State Nigeria at Oke-Ureje, along Igirigiri road, Ado-Ekiti.

The convict was arrested by members of the community during a combined vigilance patrol exercise and handed him over to the police for investigation and prosecution.

The defendant was armed with offensive weapons such as gun and cutlass on 19th and 23rd December, 2016 respectively when he robbed Adeya Olalekan of the sum of N74,000 and Infinix Note 2 phone among others. He also robbed Olomola Taiwo of the sum of N110,000 and two Techno Y6 phones.

Delivering her judgement, Justice Oluwatoyin Abodunde said the case of robbery against the defendants was proved beyond reasonable doubt.

“The prosecution proved every element of robbery with veracious evidence that have probative values. I found the defendant guilty and convicted accordingly. He is sentenced to death by hanging and may the Lord have mercy on his soul,” the judge said.

During interrogation, the convict confessed that he committed the offence. He also took security agents to their hideout where they usually meet and kept their weapons and ammunitions.

Exhibits recovered at the hideout included four Dane guns and toy guns, locally made pistols, fouur Nokia phones, four Techno phones, masks, cutlasses, charms, axe, victim’s wife’s headgear used to wrap the money, cartridges, expended cartridges, knives, pellets and cash sum of N10,000, among others.

To prove his case, the prosecutor, Mr. Gbemiga Adaramola, called four witnesses while all the aforementioned exhibits, including his confessional statements to the police were tendered in court.

He was first arraigned on January 8, 2018 but he pleaded not guilty. The defendant was led in evidence by his counsel Mr. Adeyinka Opaleke and called no witness.