Four individuals were given death sentences for armed robbery by an Ekiti State High Court.
On July 17, 2020, Segun Friday (39), Tijani Semiu Seun (27), Ogunyemi Segun Olarewaju (29) and Adebayo Tope (23) were charged with conspiracy and armed robbery and were placed under arrest by Justice Adekunle Adeleye.
The defendants allegedly planned to conduct a felony and rob Adeleke Abiodun of his Bajaj motorcycle on December 24, 2018, at Irare Village, Erinmope, in the Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State, while carrying weapons.
The offences violate both Section 1(2) (a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap. RII, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and Section 6(b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Vol. 14.
The victim stated, “I am a commercial motorcyclist plying Otun and Erinmope Ekiti,” in his evidence before the court. I was taking a woman from Otun to Erinmope Ekiti on that terrible day. A man stopped me on my way back to Otun, and we worked out a deal to take him to the village of Irare. When I realised I was entering a forest, I resisted continuing.
“A motorcyclist who was pushing his bike towards us interrupted the debate and claimed to have transported the man from Ado Ekiti but had run out of petrol. He gave me an assurance that I would be secure, and I subsequently complied. While we were leaving, he was making multiple phone calls.
“We passed a man and another ahead of me on the way, and before I knew it, the man in my rear was attempting to choke me on the motorbike.” We were dragging the motorbike when we fell; the person in front of me joined me, and they took the motorbike away from me and fled.
“I saw a man and his wife riding a motorbike away from their farm. I told them what had happened, and they raised the alarm. Villagers arrived and searched the area, apprehending one of them.”He was then turned over to the police. Later, he took the police to the Ado Ekiti neighbourhood of Atikankan, where they detained other gang members, but the motorbike remained missing till today.
The defendants spoke through their attorney, Adeyinka Opaleke, but the prosecutor, Julius Ajibare, called three witnesses and tendered the defendants’ remarks as exhibits to support his case.
Justice Adekunle Adeleye declared at the delivery of his ruling: “There is evidence of a direct plot between the conspirators.” In fact, the first, second, third, and fourth defendants made moves to carry out the heist that was agreed upon.
“With the evidence the complainant presented to the court, he has proven, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the defendants had the intent to take the motorbike owner’s property.
Additionally, it is undeniably proven that the defendants took action to carry out the agreed-upon illegal act of giving up his Bajaj motorbike. The four defendants are found guilty of the charged counts of armed robbery (count two) and conspiracy (count one).
The convicted were later given the death penalty by the judge.
