Man to die by hanging for stealing beer, cigarettes, phones

A man, Raji Babatunde, has been sentenced to death by an Ado Ekiti High Court for robbing one Alhaji Mudsahiru Bello of two Nokia phones and one Tecno phone while armed with axe and cutlass.

Raji Babatunde was also convicted for robbing one Oladele Femi of one bottle of Star lager beer, six bottles of Trophy lager beer and one packet of Rothmans cigarette, while also armed with axe and cutlass.

Justice Cornelius Akintayo, who handed down the judgement, on Wednesday, held that the prosecution had proved the case against Babatunde beyond a reasonable doubt, and therefore sentenced him to death by hanging after finding him guilty of armed robbery.

Babatunde, according to the prosecution, was a member of a four-man robbery gang which it said was a terror to Odundun, Okesa and Dallimore Streets in Ado-Ekiti around June 30, 2014.

The offence, the prosecution stated, contravened Section 1(2)(a)of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act Cap R11 Vol 14 Laws of Federation of Nigeria 2004.

Babatunde and the second accused in the matter, Sunday Adegboye, had first appeared before the court on February 1, 2016, when the charges were read to them.

They pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them.

Justice Akintayo, however, discharged and acquitted Adegboye for lack of sufficient evidence, noting that none of the witnesses called to give evidence in the case was able to link the Adegboye, who was the second accused, to the commission of the crime.

According to the prosecution, policemen on patrol had arrived at the scene during the robbery and stated that three members of the gang had escaped while Babatunde was arrested while trying to escape with his loot.

The prosecution had called four witnesses and had tendered voluntary confessional statement, four machetes, one knife, one bottle of Trophy beer, broken bottle of Star beer, one radio set and one fez cap as exhibits.

Babatunde had called his mother as his witness, and she testified that she had gone to a church all-night vigil with his son.

She had expressed surprise to learn that he was arrested for robbery.