3 robbers sentenced to death by hanging in Ekiti

Three men - Taiwo Hassan, 39;  Henry Okeke, 30;  and Oladimeji Olanrewaju, 27 were sentenced to death by hanging for armed robbery by Ado-Ekiti High Court on Friday.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi, said the court found the convicts guilty of the two-count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery.

“ I have carefully considered  the evidences before this court by the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), the prosecution and the defence counsel.

“ I hereby find  the accused guilty of  the charge of conspiracy and armed robbery as charged and hereby convict them thereof,” Ogunyemi said.

The prosecutor, Mr Oluwaseun Fasote, had earlier told the court that the men committed the offence on Dec.7, 2010, on Ado-Afao  Road, Ekiti.

He said Hassan, Okeke and Olanrewaju  robbed one  Lateef  Saka of  his cell-phone,  N360 as well as  a Toyota Hummer bus marked  XQ 987 BDG while armed with a gun.

Fasote said the offences contravened sections 6(B) and 1(2)(a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act Cap R11 Volume 14, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The first and third accused were represented by Mr Ebenezer Adedeji  while the  second  had  Mr Tosin Babalola as counsel.

All the accused persons  had earlier pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.