2 to hang for robbery in Ekiti

The Ekiti State High Court, Ado-Ekiti, has sentenced two men, Lanre Kayode, 34 and Olanrewaju Aremu, 35 to death by hanging.

In a ruling yesterday, Justice Lucas Ogundana said the law prescribed mandatory punishment for the offence committed by the accused persons and that the court could nevertheless pass a lesser sentence having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case.

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Justice Ogundana stated that: “The two accused persons are hereby sentenced to death by hanging until they breathe their last.”

The two men were sentenced on counts one, two, three and four on conspiracy and burglary to life imprisonment.

Earlier, the accused persons were charged for conspiracy, armed robbery and burglary contrary to Sections 403 (A), 402 (2) (a) and 411 (1) of the Criminal Code, Cap C16 Laws of Ekiti State of  Nigeria, 2012.

The acts were committed on or about July 7, 2017, around 02:00am at OkeIla area of Ado Ekiti when the suspects armed with guns and cutlasses robbed one Jimoh Folajoke Oluremi of her laptops, phones and a Toyota Camry car.

In her testimony before the court, the victim said the two were arrested through the effort of police officers who tracked the phones, thereby leading to the discovery of all other items, including the car.

To prove the case, the prosecutor, Mr.  Wale Fapohunda, called four witnesses after the confessional statements of the two accused were tendered as exhibits. Other exhibits produced in court were a laptop, phones and the car.

The accused persons spoke through their counsel, Barr. Yinka Opaleke, but called no witness.