An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced four men to death for offence of conspiracy and armed robbery.
The convicts Segun Friday (39), Tijani Semiu Seun (27), Ogunyemi Segun Olarewaju (29) and Adebayo Tope (23) were arraigned before Justice Adekunle Adeleye on 17th July, 2020 on two count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery.
The charge reads that, the defendants on December 24, 2018 at Irare Village, Erinmope in Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State, within the jurisdiction of this court conspired to commit felony, also on the same day and date did rob one Adeleke Abiodun of his Bajaj Motorcycle, as at the time of the robbery, they were armed with offensive weapons including piece of wood.
The offences contravene Section 6(b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act. Cap. RII, Vol. 14 and Section 1(2) (a) Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act. Cap. RII, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
In his testimony before the court, the victim said, I am a commercial Motorcyclist plying Otun and Erinmope Ekiti.
On the fateful day, I conveyed a lady from Otun to Erinmope Ekiti, on my way back to Otun, one man stopped me, we negotiated to take him to Irare village. I refused to go further when I discovered I was going inside forest, I saw a motorcyclist pushing his bike towards us, he intervened in the argument, he said, I was the one who brought him from Ado Ekiti but ran out of petrol, he assured of me of my safety, I later agreed, he was making several phone calls while we are going. On our way, we bypassed a man and another one in front of me, before I knew it, the one at my back tried to strangulate me on the motorcycle, when we fell, we were dragging the bike, the one I bypassesd and the other in front of me joined and they dispossessed me of the motorcycle and ran away.
I saw a man and his wife coming from their farm on motorcycle, I narrated what happened to them, they raised alarm and the villagers came out, they combed the surroundings which led to arrest of one of them. Thereafter, he was handed over to the police, he later led the police to Atikankan area of Ado Ekiti where other members of the gang were arrested but the motorcycle was nowhere to be found up till today, he concluded.
To proof his case, the prosecutor, Julius Ajibare Esq. called three witnesses and tendered the defendants’ statements as exhibits while the defendants spoke through their counsel Adeyinka Opaleke, they called no witness.
Delivering his judgment, Justice Adekunle Adeleye said ‘’this is an evidence of direct plot between the conspirators. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants indeed took steps to achieve the agreed task of robbery’’.
From the evidence placed before the court by the complainant, he has established beyond reasonable doubt, the meeting of mind of the defendants to dispossess owner of a motorcycle.
It is also established without doubt that the defendants took steps in achieving the agreed unlawful act of dispossessing his Bajaj motorcycle.
The four defendants are found guilty in count one (Conspiracy) and count two (Armed Robbery) as charged.
The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants are hereby sentenced to death.
