Innocent Orphan Free Of Armed Robbery After 1 Year In Prison Custody

PAUL IYOGHOJIE

The office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution, DPP, Lagos State Ministry of Justice has discharged and acquitted an orphan, Adesoyoju Adetokunbo, 29, of the armed robbery charges preferred against him by the operatives of the Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS, attached to the Lagos State Police Command after one year in prison custody.

Problems started for Adetokunbo, who lost his parents when he was 10 years old, when a complainant, Mr. Dennis Adegbe and his wife on 29 January, 2016 reported to the SARS office that three men on a motorcycle attacked and robbed them at gun point while they were about to enter their residence at 1, Idiroko Ado, Ajah, Lagos.

They alleged that the suspects robbed them of iPhone 6 handset, Samsung Galaxy S5, iPhone 4, Infiniti Hot note, Nokia Asa 201, Visaphone handset, Swatch wristwatch, 2 bags, 2 ATM cards and car keys all valued at N293,000 and escaped.

During investigation, police detectives tracked and arrested Adesoyoju Adetokunbo with one of the stolen Samsung phone and took him to the station.

At the station, Adetokunbo allegedly told the police that he was not a robber and did not rob anybody but that he bought the Samsung phone found with him from a neighbour called Baba for N8,000.

He was alleged to have begged the police to follow him to his neighbours house to confirm his claim but the police refused and insisted that he was one of the robbers that robbed the complainant and later charged him to the court on a two count charge of armed robbery.

Though his counsel, Barr. Frank Obi-Okeke quoted copiously from the Lagos State criminal justice laws to convince the court that his client was innocent of armed robbery allegation, the presiding magistrate, Mrs. B. O. Odusanmi ordered that Adetokunbo be remanded in prison custody pending DPP’s advice.

Fortunately, the DPP’s advice of 30 December, 2016 with CR.vol:211/2016 released by the Chief State counsel, Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecution office, Mrs. A. O. Oluwafemi, however absolved Adetokunbo of the armed robbery charges.

She stated that  “after carefully considering the facts available in the DPP’s case file, there are insufficient facts to establish prime facie case of conspiracy to commit robbery armed robbery contrary to section 299 and 297 of the criminal laws, CH,C17,vol:3, laws of Lagos State 2015 against Adesoyoju Adetokunbo.

She supported her claims with the Supreme Court pronouncement in the case of Usman Kaza vs State, 2008, Isibor vs State 2002 and Oforlete vs State 2000.

She directed that Adetokunbo be discharged and released accordingly since the prosecution could not link him with the said armed robbery.

She advised the police to intensify efforts to arrest the seller of the phone to Adetokunbo.

Speaking with PMEXPRESS about the new development, Barr. Frank Obi-Okeke thanked the Lagos State DPP’s office for coming to the rescue of the oppressed in Lagos State.

He urged then not to relent in looking into the cases of many innocent suspects languishing in many detention centres.