The Akure Division of the Ondo State High Court, on Friday, sentenced four men to death by hanging for armed robbery.
Daily Trust reports that the convicts are: Noah Tosin (27), Adewale Oke (29), Abdulsalam Abib, (23) and Ayodele Sunday (39).
They were arraigned on three counts of conspiracy, armed robbery and receiving stolen property.
Justice Adeyemi Fasanmi of the State High Court, handed down the death sentence on the four convicts after he found them guilty of the crime.
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Prosecuting counsel, Tolu Abisagbo, told the court that the convicts on or about September 16, 2019, in Akure, within the jurisdiction of the Court, robbed one Dr Benedict Asuelimen and his wife of their vehicle and some household items.
The items also included: one Toyota Highlander 2000 Model Maroon colour with number plate: FST 916 DN valued at N84,200,000; Samsung J6 Android phone valued at N63,000; one Techno phone worth N53,000 and ITEL phone valued at N14,000.
After several proceedings and a series of arguments by the prosecuting and defence counsel, Justice Fasanmi found the convicts guilty of the crime and and convicted them accordingly.
The court held that the prosecution proved the case of conspiracy, armed robbery and receiving stolen property against them beyond reasonable doubts.
Consequently, he sentenced the four men to death by hanging.
However, the trial judge said the prosecution could not produce any evidence against three others, Deosun Bamidele (45), Omotuase Sunday (46) and Abner Emmanuel (45), who were accused of the offence.
He ordered Bamidele and Sunday to be discharged and acquitted on all the count charges.
Fasanmi, however, sentenced Emmanuel, to five years’ imprisonment or pay a N200,000 fine, for receiving a Toyota Highlander 2000 model maroon colour with number plate: FST 916 DN, from the convicts, knowing the same to have been obtained through robbery.