MICHAEL AKINOLA
A cleric, Pastor Adewale Adelu and five others including Ikechuckwu Maduagwu, Fayemi Olubusuyi, Ropo Adeleye, Dele Otopka and Bayo Omotosho, have been sentenced to death by hanging for robbing two banks and carting away millions of Naira during operation in Ondo State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that it was the judgment of the Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure, which found Pastor Adelu and five others culpable for double armed robbery and sentenced them to death over their involvement in bank robberies, which took place in Akure and Idanre in 2011.
They were found guilty of robbing two commercial banks, Diamond and First Bank PLC in Akure and Idanre on 19th November and 8th December, 2011 in Akure and Idanre respectively.
The Police arrested and charged them before the Court, where they faced trial over the years and were found guilty.
During the trial, the convicts were arraigned before the Court on four-count charge bothering on conspiracy, armed robbery, and illegal possession of firearms and were later remanded in Olokuta Correctional Centre.
The prosecuting counsel, F.K Salami, told the Court that the convicts and others were “armed with AK 47 guns, dynamite, and other weapons at Oyemekun Road, Akure, conspired to attack and robbed a branch of Diamond Bank Plc, after which they went away with a sum of N30million and different brand of phones, including other valuable property.
“The convicts on December 8, 2011, at 2 pm, were also alleged to have robbed First Bank Plc at Yaba Road, Idanre, where they carted away another sum of N4m. “
According to the prosecution, “the offences contravened Sections 6b, 1 2a, and b of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap R11, Vol. 14 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004″.
The Court eventually found them guilty after the prosecutor proved his case beyond reasonable doubt and they were sentenced accordingly.