By Victor Akinkuolie, Ado-Ekiti

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An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, has sentenced six persons to 42 years imprisonment, for armed robbery and receiving stolen property among other offences.

The convicts are: Lateef Bamisile, 31; Omodara Sanya, 32; Lasisi Talabi, 27; Omojola Damilare,30; Adamu Mohammed, 39 and Abubakar Garuba,52.

Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi, in his judgment, sentenced the 1st to 4th defendants to 21 years imprisonment each, for conspiracy and armed robbery, while the two other defendants bagged seven years each in prison, for receiving stolen property.

They were arraigned before the court on August 31, 2022, on five count charges bordering on conspiracy, attempted murder, robbery and receiving stolen properties, contrary to Sections 421, 241, 312 (2)(b), and 343 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.

According to the charge, the defendants on February 13, April 11, May 4, 10 and 17 in the year 2022, conspired to rob three persons: Iji Taiwo, Akinyemi Sunday and Ajayi Sunday, of their Bajaj motorcycles, and attempted to murder the victims.

Also on May 17, 2022, Adamu Mohammed and Abubakar Garba allegedly received two stolen Bajaj motorcycles each from Lateef Bamisile, all in Ado Ekiti, as at the of the incidents, they were armed with sticks, cutlasses and axes.

One of the victims, Ajayi Sunday, in his statement to the Police said: “I am a commercial motorcyclist and was working with my motorcycle with number plate LAW 341 VJ, around 5:45 a.m.

“On that day, I conveyed one of the defendants from the Oke-Ila area to a place in front of Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti. When we got there, he asked me to wait for him. He pretended to be knocking on a gate, and  suddenly, a man appeared from behind with a cutlass.

He ordered me to come down. But when I refused, he gave me a machete cut on my neck, head, hand and back.

“When I fell, the passenger joined him and ran away with my motorcycle. Thereafter, I went to Okesa and Oke-Ila Police stations respectively, to lodge formal complaints.”

To prove his case, the prosecutor, Oluwaseun Olasanmi, called nine witnesses and tendered the defendants’ statements, motorcycles’ particulars and bond to produce, as exhibits.

But the defendants spoke through their respective lawyers, and called no witness.

In his judgment, Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi held, “Based on the confessional statements of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants, we could see a trend of series of robberies committed by them on motorcycles, by applying pepper on the victims’ eyes and sometimes threatening with cutlasses.

“Consequently, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants are guilty of conspiracy and they are hereby sentenced to seven years imprisonment each. Twenty one years imprisonment each for robbery, while the 5th and 6th defendants, Adamu Mohammed and Abubakar Garba are found guilty of receiving stolen motorcycles. They are accordingly sentenced to fourteen years imprisonment each.”