Man sentenced to death for trailing, robbing bank customer

AN Abeokuta High Court on Tuesday sentenced one Lebaran Abass to death by hanging for trailing a bank customer and robbing him at gunpoint shortly after making a withdrawal.

Justice S.A Olugbemi sentenced Abass on a two-count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery.

Olugbemi held that evidence before the court showed that the convict committed the offences.

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“Having found that you, Labaran Abass, is guilty as charged on both counts, you shall be hung by the neck until you are dead,” Olugbemi said.

Prosecution counsel, Mrs Aderonke Adefisoye, had told the court that the convict committed the offences on Feb. 28, in Ilaro, Ogun.

Adefisoye said that the convict robbed one Mr Adebusuyi Afolabi of N998,000 shortly after he withdrew the sum from a bank.

“The accused and his gang would stay within bank premises waiting for customers who will withdraw huge amounts of money, and trail them to the point of collecting the money.

“The complainant withdrew his money from a bank located at Owode Yewa and went to the motor park to board a commercial vehicle to Idi-Iroko.

“While the complainant was sitting in the vehicle waiting for other passengers, the accused person and his gang entered the vehicle pretending to be passengers.

“The accused pointed a gun at Afolabi and collected the bag containing N998,000 from him and jumped onto a standby motorcycle and escaped,” the prosecutor submitted.

Adefisoye noted that armed robbery contravened Section 6(b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, 2004.