Four Face Death By Hanging Over Seven-Count Charge

An Ado-Ekiti High Court, on Monday sentenced four persons, Ojo Ajayi 22, Matthew Osalade 23, Adebisi Ogundare 23, and Busayo Adeniyi 23, to death by hanging for armed robbery and other offenses.

The defendants were arraigned before Justice Bamidele Omotoso on Aug 24, 2020, on a seven-count charge bordering on conspiracy, armed robbery, attempted murder, and cultism.

The offenses contravened Sections 516, 402(2), 320, of the Criminal Code Cap C16, Laws of Ekiti State, of Nigeria 2012, and section 4(1) of the Secret Cults (Abolition and Prohibition) First Amendment Law, No. 6, 2017.

According to the charge, the convicts on Jan. 1, 2019, at Odo-Ado Area of Ado Ekiti, did conspire to commit, Armed Robbery on Mary Ezeaku, Joshua Ige, and Hassan Abdulmalik.

They also attempted to murder one Olajide Babatunde, they were as well found to be members of a Prohibited Society called Eieye confraternity.

While armed with offensive weapons such as guns, axe, and knives, they dispossessed the victims of their belongings, such as phones, necklaces, wristwatches, and a cash sum of N30,500 among others.

One of the victims, Joshua Ige who testified before the court said, “we were coming from a show in Ekute Quarters of Ado Ekiti around 4:00 am, we boarded a bike to take us to Odo-Ado when we are approaching Odo Ado area, he suddenly stopped at a lonely place, before we asked what happened, other boys came out of their hidings, they pointed a gun at us, some of them held axe and knives, they robbed us of our phones, necklace, wristwatch, and other valuables.

The matter was reported at the Police station before they were later arrested.

To prove his case, the prosecutor, Albert Adeyemi called six witnesses, he tendered the defendant’s statements, one locally made pistol, one live ammunition, two axes, two cutlasses, and twelve handsets among others as exhibits.

The defendants spoke in their defense through their counsel, Adeyinka Opaleke, Ekiti State Coordinator of the Legal Aid Council, they called no witnesses.

In his judgment, Justice Bamidele Omotoso said, ‘’I resolve the sole issue for determination in this case partially in favour of the prosecutor and against the defendants, they were found guilty of the offenses of conspiracy, armed robbery, and attempted murder’’

He said the punishment for armed robbery is death, and for the offense of armed robbery, the sentence of this court upon the defendants is that they are hanged by the neck until they are dead.

“May God have mercy on your souls, they were sentenced to life imprisonment for attempted murder and seven years imprisonment each for the offense of conspiracy, the judge ruled.

(Vanguard).