MICHAEL AKINOLA
“You will be hanged on your neck till you are dead, May God have mercy on your soul.”
P.M.EXPRESS reports that it was the judgment pronounced on a 30-year old man, Bello Abduquadril, who was sentenced to death by hanging by a High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti over armed robbery.
The convict, who was standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery was arraigned before Justice Olalekan Olatawura on 8th March, 2023.
The convict, Abdulquadril and others at large, had on 22nd March, 2023, at Ado-Ekiti, conspired to commit the criminal offence by robbing one Taiwo Owolabi of his phone and Jincheng Lady Motorcycle while armed with offensive weapons, to wit, gun and cutlass at the time of the robbery, and the offences contravened Sections 314 and 312 (2)(a) of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
The victim, in his evidence before the Court stated: “Myself and my brother were on our Lady Bike with registration GED 933 QD, going home on that day. On our way, we suddenly saw two men on Bajaj motorcycle. They blocked us and immediately, brought out a gun and cutlass. They beat us with the cutlass and threatened to kill us if we failed to cooperate. Thereafter, they dispossessed me of my phone and the Lady Bike and ran away with it”.
“We went to report the case at Amotekun’s office.
On the second day, I received a call from Iyara Police Station in Kogi State to come there with my phone and motorcycle receipts. I went to the Police Headquarters in Ado-Ekiti to inform them, they made all necessary arrangement and left for Kogi State. After documentation and verification of the receipts, the phone, the motorcycle and the suspect were released to the Policemen from Ekiti,” he concluded.
The prosecutor, Adeola Johnson, called three witnesses and tendered the defendant’s statements, motorcycle particulars, receipts, search warrant among others as exhibit to prove his case.
The defendant, who called no witness, spoke through his counsel, E.K. Adetifa, who pleaded with the Court to temper justice with mercy.
In his judgment, Justice Olatawura said, “The prosecution having established that both of them participated in the crime, it can be rightly inferred, and I so hold that there was a common intention and a meeting of minds between the defendant and accomplice at large to commit armed robbery”.
“I am therefore, satisfied that the prosecution has proven beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant conspired with another person to commit the offence.”
“Consequent upon the foregoing, the defendant is found guilty of the offences of conspiracy and armed robbery as charged.”
“On conspiracy, the defendant is sentenced to 7 years imprisonment and in Count 2 (Armed Robbery) the sentence of the count upon you is that you be hanged by the neck until you be dead and may God have mercy on your soul,” the Judge ruled.