The police in Lagos yesterday arraigned two men they described as serial armed robbers for allegedly breaking into the Ikoyi, Lagos, home of a Lagos judge and carting away $1,000, N250,000, four wrist watches, a 50-inch LG television, two shirts and two pairs of shoes.
The defendants, Friday Eze and Anuoluwa Adewale, were arraigned together with two accomplices, Rasaq Bolaji and Beatrice Elom, on a 15-count charge before Justice Ayokunle Faji at the Federal High Court, Lagos.
According to the charge by the police, Eze and Adewale, alongside one Monday Uvi and others still at large, invaded the judge’s home on February 22, 2020 armed with a Berretta pistol, a cutlass and a cudgel and disposed him of his belongings.
The gang was alleged to have also robbed Mr. and Mrs. Odunlami, Montego Oil Company, Dr.Matthias Kelvin and Olukemi Kelvin, and Damilola Akinwale in different robbery operations.
They were alleged to have invaded the home of the Odunlamis at Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, on January 14, 2020, and dispossessed the couple, at gunpoint of two Samsung phones, one LG phone and two wrist watches all valued at N1.5 million, gold jewellery valued at N60m and cash sums of £680,000, $50,000 and N306,000.
In another operation on January 27, 2020, the gang allegedly broke into the office of Montego Oil Company in lkoyi and made away with a Levono Think laptop valued at N589,000, one HP laptop valued at N128,000 and one TB external drive worth N15,000.
The defendants also on March 6, 2020 allegedly invaded the home of Dr. Matthias Kelvin in Ikoyi, robbing him of two iPhones, one iPad, two Infinix mobile phones, one HP probook laptop, two laptop chargers and a Boss wristwatch, while they robbed Olukemi Kelvin of one iPhone worth N400,000, one Infinix mobile phone valued at N50,000, one iPhone 8 valued at N800,000, one iPad mini 2018 valued at N400,000, a Samsung sound system valued at N1m and a jewellery wristwatch and necklace valued at N900,000.
Also in a March 6, 2020 operation, the gang allegedly swooped on one Damilola Akinwale on Alexander Road, Ikoyi, dispossessing her of one iPhone 11 pro max valued at N550,000, a Samsung phone valued at N250,000 and a cash sum of N100,000.
The police, in the charge sheet, alleged that 34-year-old Eze and 35-year-old Adewale carried out their armed robbery operations on the advice of the third defendant, 50-year-old Bolaji, who was said to have conveyed them in a green colour Honda Accord to the sites of the operations and back to their different houses.
The fourth defendant, 55-year-old Beatrice Elom, was accused of receiving N2.4m “being proceeds from armed robbery operations” from Eze, “a person you know or have reason to know does not have the means.”
All the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the entire 15 counts pressed against them.
The prosecuting counsel for the police, J. I. Eboseremen, prayed the court for a trial date and an order remanding the defendants in prison custody.
The defence counsel, Sodiq Sulaimon, informed the court he would be filling bail applications for his clients.
Justice Faji, while adjourning the case till September 28, 2020, directed the parties to file written addresses to convince him that the Federal High Court had jurisdiction to hear the case.
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