Driver, carpenter to die by hanging for armed theft in Ondo

An Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure has sentenced a carpenter, Lasisi Nureni, and a driver, Akintan Adebayo, to demise by hanging for armed theft.

Justice William Olamide convicted the 2 males on a two-count cost of conspiracy to commit armed theft and armed theft, opposite to Sections 6(b) and 1(2)(a) and (b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap. R11, Vol. 14, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The courtroom sentenced every of the convicts to seven years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit armed theft and to demise by hanging for armed theft.

With each defendants pleading not responsible to the fees, the prosecution’s case was based mostly on the testimony of a fellow driver, Omojolowo Boluwaji, and on police investigation that tracked one of many stolen cellphones to Osun State.

Boluwaji mentioned the assailants demanded the keys to his newly acquired car, including that when he refused to give up them, they overpowered him, beat his spouse, and stole his car, 5 cellphones, a laptop computer, jewelry, N900,000 belonging to his spouse, and one other N490,000.

Inspector Omotadowa Sunday, a police officer, informed the courtroom that the police tracked one of many stolen telephones to Imesi, Osun State, the place Nureni was arrested.

Nureni, who denied involvement within the theft, informed the courtroom that he was a carpenter and had by no means dedicated armed theft, including that he didn’t know Adebayo earlier than his arrest.

He claimed he was arrested after a disagreement together with his mom, denied any reference to Osun State, and mentioned he was from Ado-Ekiti.

Adebayo, who additionally denied conspiring with anybody to commit armed theft and insisted that he didn’t know Nureni earlier than their arrest, maintained that his identify was Adeoye Adebayo and claimed that he had been in detention since 2018, denying any involvement within the theft.

In his judgment, Justice Olamide held that the prosecution had proved past affordable doubt that each defendants knowingly participated in a plan to commit armed theft.

The choose consequently sentenced them to seven years’ imprisonment every for conspiracy to commit armed theft and to demise by hanging for armed theft.