Ekiti State High Court presided over by Honourable Justice Abiodun Adesodun, has sentenced a 34-year-old Afolabi Taiwo to death by hanging for being guilty of robbery.
Justice Adesodun, in the ruling said: “The prosecution has provided credible, cogent and compelling evidence to establish all the three essential elements of the offence of armed robbery against the defendant as charged. He is hereby sentenced to death by hanging. May the Lord have mercy on your soul.”
According to the charge preferred against him, Afolabi on June 17, 2017 at Oke Osun, Ikere Ekiti, robbed Ayeni Oluwaseun Pius of his Lexus Jeep with Registration Number Lagos KTU 479 DM and also robbed Aturamu Adesina of the sum of N43,000.00, Infinix Note 3 phone among others, at the time of the robbery, he was armed with gun.
In their testimony before the court, the victims said they were coming from an outing on the fateful day, when the defendant, who was their neighbour and recognised alongside other three unknown gunmen, came out of their hidings when alighting from the Jeep, attacked them with cutlasses, seized their Jeep and other valuables, tied their hands and mouth, and escaped.
The matter was reported at the police station while the Jeep was later tracked in Ore town in Ondo State. To prove his case, the prosecutor, Oluwatoyin Marcus, called three witnesses and tendered statements of the victims and defendant, bond for the release of the seized vehicle at the police station and others as exhibits.
The offence according to Prosecutor, runs contrary to Section 1(2) a, of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap R11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
