Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi of the Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division, on Thursday, sentenced two persons to death by hanging for armed robbery.
The convicts, Olusegun Folorunso, 53 and Ajayi Dele, 51, were charged to court and tried on three counts bordering on conspiracy and armed robbery.
According to the charge, “The convicts on August 24, 2022, along the Erio Ekiti Road did conspire to commit a felony, to wit: armed robbery, when they robbed one Ajogbeje Ayodeji of his ash-coloured Sonata Hyundai car, phone and a laptop computer.
“Also, on the same date and place, they also robbed one Oluwasegun Oke of his phone.
“As of the time of the robbery, they were armed with guns and cutlasses.
“The offences are contrary to Section 6(b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap.R11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004,” the charge stated.
In his testimony before the court, one of the victims, Ajogbeje Ayodeji, said, “Around 4 am, I and two of my brothers were travelling from Erio Ekiti to Ido Ekiti. Somewhere in the bush between Erio and Ido, we saw a barricade on the road; when we were thinking of what happened, we saw the two men armed with guns and cutlasses. They pointed their guns at us and ordered us to lay face down. They collected the car key, my laptop and our phones. They entered the car and drove away.
“I first reported the case at the Aramoko Police Station and later at the Rapid Response Squad of the Nigeria Police Force in Ado Ekiti. I later received a call that the armed robbers have been arrested in Ibadan,” he said.
The prosecutor, Kunle Adeyemo, called five witnesses and tendered defendants’ statements, one locally made single-barrelled, one locally made double-barrelled and six live cartridges among others as exhibits.
The defendants, who spoke in their defence through their lawyers, Adeyinka Opaleke and Ezekiel Agunbiade, called no witness.
In his judgement, Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi said, “In the present case, I uphold the submission of the prosecution that there are sufficient facts from which common intention can be inferred through which defendants can be convicted and sentenced for conspiracy to commit armed robbery.
“On the whole, the defendants are found guilty as charged. Consequently, on Count I, (Conspiracy), the defendants are sentenced to 10 years imprisonment each and Count 2 (armed robbery), the defendants are to be hanged by the neck till they are dead. May God have mercy on your souls,” the judge pronounced.
