BY Sunmola Olowookere

|

An Akure High Court Judge, Justice Samuel Bola has sentenced three men; Bamidele Tunde, Aliu Damilola and Richard Okere to death by hanging following their conviction over armed robbery.
The men were alleged to have conspired and committed armed robbery on the December, 15, 2017 at Oludare lane, Osukoti layout, Akure.
According to the prosecution, the trio, while armed with dangerous weapons, robbed one Omowumi Oluwadare of a Toyota Corrola with number plate No. KTU 976 DZ valued at N1.2 million, the sum of N500,000 cash and six phones among other valuables.
They were arraigned on two count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery.
The complainant, Omowumi Oluwadare narrated how the armed men besieged her residence, terrorized her family and guests while they also carted away their belongings including her N500,000 Cooperative Society savings.
Oluwadare identified one of the accused persons arraigned before the court as her husband’s driver.
The second prosecution witness, one Austin Lebi narrated how he saw the stolen car at Ore driven by the second accused person.
He said that he was able to intercept the car and apprehended the first defendant with the help of people nearby after which he took them to Ore police station.
Also, the police witness, Inspector Abel Ojelabi testified that a case of conspiracy and armed robbery was transferred from Ijapo police station to Federal SARS along with the first defendant and the stolen vehicle.
He said after taking the statements of the witnesses, the first accused person was interrogated and his statement was taken in the presence of his lawyer, in which he confessed that the second defendant kept the car with him.
Ojelabi said that his team thereafter effected the arrest of the second defendant at Adegbola junction, Akure, following a tip-off by the husband of the complainant.
Margaret Babatunde, the mother of the first defendant testified that her son was into tiling business and was with her in church during a vigil in their church on the day of the armed robbery.
The other two defendants also claimed that they were innocent of the crime they were alleged to have committed.
While holding that the prosecution had established the case of conspiracy and armed robbery against the defendants, Justice Samuel Bola convicted them accordingly.