A High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital has convicted six persons for conspiracy, robbery, receiving stolen properties among others.
The defendants, Lateef Bamisile (31), Omodara Sanya (32), Lasisi Talabi (27), Omojola Damilare (30), Adamu Mohammed (39) and abubakar Garuba (52) were arraigned before Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi on 31st August, 2022 on five count charge bordering on conspiracy, attempt to murder, robbery and receiving stolen properties, contrary to Sections 421, 241, 312 (2)(b), and 343 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
According to the charge, the defendants on 13th February, 11th April, 4th May, 10th May and 17th May in year 2022, did conspire to rob Iji Taiwo, Akinyemi Sunday and Ajayi Sunday of their Bajaj Motorcycles, attempted to murder the victims, also on 17th May, 2022, Adamu Mohammed and Abubakar Garba received two stolen Bajaj Motorcycle each from Lateef Bamisile, all in Ado Ekiti within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, as at the of the incidents, they were armed with sticks, cutlasses and axes.
One of the victims, Ajayi Sunday in his statement to the Police said, I am a commercial motorcyclist, I was working with my motorcycle with registration number LAW 341 VJ, around 5:45 a.m. on that day, I conveyed one of the defendants from Oke-Ila area to a place infront of Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, when we got there, he asked me to wait for him, he pretended to be knocking a gate, suddenly, a man appeared from behind with a cutlass, he ordered me to come down, when I refused, he gave me matchette cut on my neck, head, hand and back, when I fell, the passenger joined him and ran away with my motorcycle. Thereafter, I went to Okesa and Oke-Ila Police stations respectively to make formal complaint, he concluded.
To proof his case, the prosecutor, Oluwaseun Olasanmi called nine witnesses and tendered defendants statements, motorcycles particulars and bond to produce, as exhibits. The defendants spoke through their respective lawyers, they called no witness.
In his judgment, Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi said, “Going through the confessional statement of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants, we could see a trend of series of robberies committed by them on motorcycles by applying pepper on their eyes and sometime threatening with cutlass”.
It is trite that the court can convict on the confessional statement of an accused.
Subsequently, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants are guilty of conspiracy and they are hereby sentenced to seven years imprisonment each, twenty one years imprisonment each for robbery, while the 5th and 6th defendants, Adamu Mohammed and Abubakar Garba are found guilty of receiving stolen motorcycles, they are accordingly sentenced to fourteen years imprisonment each.