State govt begins rehabilitation of 80 roads
Four persons convicted of armed robbery were yesterday condemned to death by firing squad in a judgment delivered by a High Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital.The convicted persons: Messrs. Abdurahman Yinusa, Maliki Sanni, Ajayi Saliu and Mohammed Jimoh were said to be hijackers of petroleum tankers at gun point.

The accused and one other person at large robbed people on Isua/Idoani expressway in Ose Local Council of Ondo State before the police arrested them in December 2009.
According to the prosecution counsel, Mr. John Olowokere, the convicts hijacked a DAF truck with registration number XN 810 ABC conveying 33,000 litres of petrol on the same road but were later apprehended by men of the state police command.

They were tried on a four-count charge of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed robbery, murder and illegal possession of firearms contrary to section 6(b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act R11, Laws of Federation 2004.

The presiding judge, Justice D.I. Kolawole of the Special Criminal High Court within Olokuta Medium Security Prison, in his ruling, said the prosecution counsel was able to substantiate the case against the accused.

Kolawole said the accused persons were guilty of some of the charges and condemned them to death by firing squad. Meanwhile, in its bid to reduce traffic congestion in the state, Ondo State Agency for Road Maintenance and Construction (OSARMCO) has begun the rehabilitation of 80 roads across the three senatorial districts of the state.

Chairman of the agency, Kehinde Osikoya, an engineer, who spoke at a strategic take-off meeting with heads of various groups in charge of the projects in Akure yesterday, stressed that everything has been put in place to ensure the completion of the jobs.

Osikoya disclosed that the agency had earlier targeted 97 roads, which required urgent attention.The General Manager of the agency, Pastor Ayodele Ojo, charged those handling the projects to prove that public service institutions can be effective in execution of government policies.