MICHAEL AKINOLA
Four men have been sentenced to death by hanging for armed robbery at a camp of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Ijan, Ekiti State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the convicts, Sola Ogunleye, Ebenezer Adebayo, Lasisi Afeez and Ojo Oba, were arraigned for murder, attempted murder, armed robbery and conspiracy before the Ekiti High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti.
They were tried and found guilty before the Court and sentenced accordingly by the Presiding Judge, Justice L.O. Ogundana, who ordered that the convicts should be hanged to death for the offences.
Justice Ogundana stated that the prosecution has proven the case beyond reasonable doubt and the convicts were guilty as charged by the Police.
During the trial, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Julius Ajibare, called five witnesses and tendered seven exhibits to prove his case. He explained that the offences were committed by the convicts on May 29, 2017 at Oyan Orete NYSC Camp, ljan- Ekiti.
Ajibare said that the convicts robbed residents of the camp at gunpoint, during which one Olasunkanmi Ramon was murdered.
The prosecution also informed the Court that the convicts attacked one Alhaji Usman Adeleye and inflicted machete cuts on the head.
He argued that the alleged armed robbery, attempted murder and murder were contrary to Section 6(b), of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap. R11, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004 and Sections 319 (1) and 320 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap.C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
The convicts, who had pleaded not guilty to the offences, were represented by Counsel, Mr. Chris Omokhafe, and Mr. Oluwaseun Oyebanji, who produced four men to give evidence in their own defence during trial and called two other witnesses.
They were taken to the correctional center, where they will finally be hanged in line with the judgment of the Court.