Hon. Justice Lekan Ogunmoye of Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced three persons to die by hanging.
The convicts, Shadrack Apos (30), Lucky Akpos (33), and Adunola Precious (24) were arraigned before Justice Ogunmoye on 19th August, 2024 on two count charge bordering on conspiracy and armed robbery.
The charge reads that, the defendants on 12/6/24 at Ifaki Ekiti did conspire to rob one Victoria Folorunso of the cash sum of #147,000 and wristwatch, as at the time of the robbery they were armed with gun and planks, contrary to Sections 421 and 321 (2) (b) of the Criminal Laws of Ekiti State, 2021.
In her testimony before the court, the 87 year old victim said, I was sleeping around 1:00am when I suddenly saw two persons in my room, one held and pointed a gun at my forehead while the second person held a plank, they asked me to bring all the money I have in the house, I was about lifting my mattress where I kept the money, they helped me to lift it, they took the #100,000 I have there and another #47,000 I kept in my underwear, they took my wristwatch presented to me by my children, they also took my phone but they retuned it to me. When they threatened to shoot me, I told them I have #3M in my account, they instructed me to witdraw the money the following day and gave to Preciuos Adunola my househelp to deliver it to them by 11:00 am, they did not masked, they did not break the door and were relating freely with my househelp.
They warned me not to tell anybody or else they will kidnap and kill me. They were calling and threatening me thereafter, for taken too long to receive the money, I later called and informed my children, she concluded.
To prove his case, the prosecutor, Kunle-Shina Adeyemo called two witnesses and tendered defendant’s statements, search warrant, wooden gun among others as exhibits, while the defendants spoke through their lawyers Oluwatoyin Marcus and Mitchel Aribisala, they called one witness each.
In his judgment, Justice Ogunmoye said, my earlier findings that the 3rd defendant, Adunola Precious must have opened the door to enable the robbers had seamless entry into the house she was sharing with the victim aptly demonstrated her own pivotal role in the plan to rob the victim.
From the believable evidence before the court therefore, it was clear that the prosecution had been able to establish that the defendants planned and agreed to rob the victim on 12th June, 2024. The charge of conspiracy and armed robbery had therefore been proved beyond reasonable doubt against the defendants.
They are also found guilty and convicted as charged in this court.
The 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendant are to be hanged by the neck until they were dead, may God have mercy on their souls, the Judge pronounced.
