Two men to die by hanging for killing, robbing okada rider in Osun

An Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo, yesterday, sentenced two persons, Mutiu Azeez (a.k.a Tompolo) and Afolabi Mayowa, to death by hanging for armed robbery and other offences.
The convicts were arraigned before Justice Jide Falola on December 2, 2018 on four count-charge bordering on conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed robbery, conspiracy to murder and murder.

The offenCes contravened sections 6(b), (2) (a), (b), of the Robbery and Firearms (special provisions) Act, Cap R11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria,2004, sections 324, and 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume 2, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.

According to the prosecuting counsel from t State Ministry of Justice, Dele Akintayo, Mutiu Azeez, aged 41 and Afolabi Mayowa, aged 35 pretended to be passengers and boarded a motorcycle being ridden by one Olatokun Mayowa but ended up killing him inside a bush along the road.

On July 1, 2018 between 6.00am and 7.00am around Saaji village, according to Akintayo, the duo conspired together and hired Mayowa from Iragbiji and told him to take them to Egbeda on agreed price of N300.00 only.

Witness called by the prosecution counsel revealed that Mayowa was carrying the two defendants to Egbeda village via Iragbiji when the duo stopped him at Saaji village and dragged him to the bush having armed themselves with cutlass and other dangerous weapons .

They were said to have forced the motorcyclist down from his motorcycle and collected the key of the bike from him. The convicts were said to have tied his neck to a tree before hitting his head with a stone.

The convicts were said to have confessed that they killed Mayowa because he knew one of them.

Afterwards, they were said to have robbed the victim of N1,400 and his bajaj motorcycle.
The convicts according to the prosecution, rode the stolen motorcycle to Osogbo where Mutiu Azeez gave Afolabi the sum of ₦600 as his transport fare to Iragbiji while Mutiu Azeez took the motorcycle to Ibadan and sold it at the rate of 120,000.

Azeez was said to have been arrested later by some vigilante and police operatives and they made a confessional statement on how they killed the owner of the motorcycle.

Akintayo had called one witness to testify and support his case before he tendered several exhibits which the court admitted as evidence.

The presiding judge, Justice Jide Falola said the prosecution counsel had proved his case beyond reasonable doubt and convicted the two defendants according to the charges leveled against them.

Counsel to the accused persons, Adedayo Adedeji, had urged the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing his clients.

However, Falola sentenced the duo to death by hanging for armed robbery and murder and also sentenced them to seven years imprisonment for conspiracy.