Court sentences 21-yr-old boy to death for armed robbery in Ekiti

An Ekiti state’s High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti, on Monday, sentenced a 21-year boy Isa Abdulkareem, to death by hanging for armed robbery.

The convict, according to the prosecutor, committed the offence in contravention of the Section 402 subsection 2 of the Criminal Code Cap C16, Laws of Ekiti State Nigeria.

The robbery operation took place at Oke-Ureje, along Igirigiri Road, Ado Ekiti.

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

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

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

ALSO READ: Climate change: Kwara closes forest, to launch tree planting

Justice Abodunde added that the prosecution counsel was able to “prove every element of robbery with veracious evidence that have probative values”.

The Judge added: “I found the defendant guilty and convicted accordingly. He is sentenced to death by hanging and may the Lord have mercy on his soul.”

During interrogation, the convict had confessed to committing the offence, he took security agents to their hideout where they met and kept their weapons and ammunitions.

Exhibits recovered at the hideout include; 4 Dane guns and toy guns, locally made pistols, 4 Nokia phones, 4 Techno phones, masks, cutlasses, charms, axe, victims wife headgear used to wrap the money, cartridges, expended cartridges, knives, pellets, a 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 8th January 2018, when the charges were read and interpreted, but he pleaded not guilty.

The defendant was led in evidence by his counsel Mr Adeyinka Opaleke and called no witnesses.