Categories: News

Robbery: Court Sentences Ex-Convicts To Death By Hanging

Convicts robbed the complainant of N2.5 million.
They pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge.

Two ex-convicts have been sentenced to death by hanging in Ogun state for conspiracy and armed robbery.

Lekan Akinola, 40, and Dare Sowunmi, 27, who were arraigned before Abeokuta High Court, pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery levelled against them.

During proceedings on Tuesday, the presiding judge, Justice Ayokunle Rotimi-Balogun, while delivering her judgment, said the court was convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the ex-convicts committed the crimes and were guilty as charged.

Rotimi-Balogun held that all evidence presented by the prosecution was admissible and the punishment for the offence of armed robbery was death.

She, consequently, convicted the two men of the offences and sentenced them to death by hanging.

“Having found that you are guilty as charged you shall be hung by your neck until you are dead, May God have mercy on you,” Rotimi Balogun said.

Earlier, the Senior State Prosecution Counsel, Mrs Oluwabunmi Akinola, had told the court that the convicts committed the offences on January 27, 2019, at 1:55a.m., at 32, Legislative Quarters, Ibara in Abeokuta.

Akinola disclosed that the Convicts, who were armed with gun and cutlass, broke into the apartment of one Chief Derin Adebiyi and made away with his money and other valuables.

She further explained that the convicts robbed the complainant of N2.5 million, six wrist watches, five gold necklaces, three phones, a solar charger and one Toyota Camry key.

The prosecution counsel also informed the court that the two defendants were ex-convicts and were both released from prison in 2018 during a jail delivery.