An Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court, yesterday, remanded a 34-year-old man, Anifowose Taoheeb, at the Ado-Ekiti correctional centre for alleged conspiracy and armed robbery.
The defendant, whose address was not provided, is being prosecuted for conspiracy and armed robbery.
The prosecutor, Inspector Elijah Adejare, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on February 15 at about 1:30 a.m., in Oye-Ekiti.
He said that the defendant conspired to rob Joy Ogunruku, Jecinta Ukali and Daniel Ajibola, who are all students of Federal University of Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE).
Adejare said the offences contravened Sections 314 and 312(2)(a)(b) of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
He quoted one of the victims, Ogunruku, as saying in her testimony: “My friend, Jecinta, and I came out of our room to take a fresh breeze around 1:30 a.m., and suddenly, we saw three boys putting on their nose masks.
“I later got to know the name of the third boy as Toheeb Anifowose, who brought out a cut-to-size pistol and pointed it at me. He (Anifowose) shouted ‘Give me your phone’. The two other boys were with Jecinta and demanded her phone also.
“They asked us to stand up but I refused, and that was when they started beating us and dragged us away after collecting my iPhone XR and hiding it in the bush. The two boys ran away, while I held the other one. Jecinta then freed herself and went to call other students who came to my rescue and he was arrested.”
The prosecutor urged the court to remand the defendant in a correctional centre, pending legal advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
The plea of the defendant was, however, not taken.
The Chief Magistrate, Bankole Oluwasanmi, remanded the defendant in the correctional centre, pending issuance of legal advice, and adjourned till March 27 for mention.
