Ekiti court sentences man to death for armed robbery

Justice Oluwatoyin Abodunde of the Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, has sentenced a 24-year-old man, Sola Jegede, to death by hanging for armed robbery.

Jegede was found guilty of using weapons which included a gun, knife, digger and club to rob Ibukun Ilesanmi, Seun Ilesanmi and Tope Ilesanmi of their phones and undisclosed amount of money.

The convict was charged with armed robbery and rape allegedly committed on October 30, 2015, on Oda Ponna Street, Omuo-Ekiti, Ekiti East Local Government Area of the state.

The prosecutor, Omobola Oyewole, said the offences contravened Section 1(2)(a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap. R11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and Section 358 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.

The prosecutor called seven witnesses and tendered Blackberry and Nokia phones, a digger and a knife, among others as exhibits, while counsel to the convict, Adedayo Adewumi, called no witness.

Delivering judgment, Justice Abodunde said, “The defendant is found guilty as charged on counts one, two and three for the offence of armed robbery.

“He is accordingly convicted and sentenced to death by hanging for the offence of armed robbery and may the Lord have mercy on his soul.”

The judge however discharged and acquitted Jegede on counts four and five, saying, “No reasonable court can convict him of the offence of rape given the totality of the evidence of the prosecution with respect to the offence of rape.

“He is found not guilty and discharged and acquitted on the offence of rape.”

 

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