Ekiti: Three to die by hanging for N186,000 theft

An Ekiti State High Court in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, sentenced three persons to death by hanging for conspiracy and armed robbery of goods worth N186,000.

The defendants: Omotayo Deji, 23, Chidiebere Ifeanyi, 25, and Bolaji Usman, 28, were arraigned before Justice Bamidele Omotoso on January 21, 2020, on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy and armed robbery.

According to the charges, the alleged offences contradicted Sections 6 (b), 1 (2) (a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap. RII, Vol. 14, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

One of the victims in his statement to the police, said: “We were sleeping in our room at about 2:30 a.m., suddenly, I heard a loud sound on the door, immediately, we woke up, I saw the defendants armed with cutlass and wooden plank, immediately, they broke the electric bulb with the plank in their hand. They commanded us to lay face down and bring out all our money. We told them that we are students and we don’t have money, but they started beating us on our backs with sticks and cutlasses.

“Thereafter, they started collecting our phones, laptops, chargers, sandals, power banks and others I could not remember and ran away. We were later shouting for help but nobody came out.”

To prove his case, the police prosecutor, Kunle-Shina Adeyemo, called one witness and tendered statements of the victims and defendants, as well as phones among others as exhibits.

The defendants testified through their counsels, without calling witnesses.