An Ado-Ekiti Division of the Ekiti High Court has sentenced three persons to death by hanging for armed robbery.

The defendants, Bidemi Babalola, 28, Oluwaseun Akinwale, 26, Sola Oyebanji, a.k.a. Solademmy, 31, Azeez Jimoh, a.k.a. Asela, 31, and Babatunde Ogunlade, 28, were arraigned before Justice Lekan Ogunmoye.

The five men, whose addresses were not provided, were arraigned on January 30, 2020, on five counts of conspiracy, armed robbery, possession of firearms, receiving stolen properties and membership in a secret cult.

Delivering his judgement, the trial judge said: “In all, the sole issue for determination is resolved in part in favour of the prosecution, and I accordingly order as follows:

“The first defendant, Babalola Bidemi, though a first offender, was the one that encouraged the offence of armed robbery; in that he knew that the items received by him were products of armed robbery, his sentence should serve as deterrence.

“He is accordingly sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.

“The second defendant, Akinwale Oluwaseun, is discharged and acquitted of all the charges while the 3rd, 4th and 5th defendants, Oyebanji Sola, Jimoh Azeez and Ogunlade Babatunde, are found guilty as charged.

“They are hereby sentenced to death.”

During the trial, the prosecution counsel, Dolapo Oyewole, informed the court that the convicts committed the offences on October 3, 2018, at Oke Oniyo Street, Ado-Ekiti.

Mr Oyewole called five witnesses and tendered the defendants’ statements to the police, phones, wraps of Indian hemp, and a motorcycle with its ignition key, among others, as exhibits.

The prosecution counsel said that convicts conspired to commit armed robbery and, on the fateful date, robbed Tijani Omowumi and Ogunrinde Olumide of their phones, plasma television, wristwatches, necklaces, shirts, trousers, shuttle bags, and a cash sum of N5,000, among others.

According to the counsel, at the time of the robbery, they were armed with a big stick, club, stone, cutlasses and gun.

The offences, Mr Oyewole said, were contrary to Sections 6 (b), 1(2) (a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap. RII, Vol. 14, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and Section 4 (1) of the Secret Cults (Abolition and Prohibition) ( First Amendment) Law, No. 6 of 2017.

However, the defendants gave evidence in their own defence and called two witnesses.

Adeyinka Opaleke, counsel to Mr Akinwale, argued and proved the innocence of his client of the alleged offence leading to the latter’s discharge and acquittal.

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