A
bricklayer, Femi
Adebowale has been sentenced to death by hanging for conspiracy and armed robbery. The
presiding judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of a Lagos High court, sitting in
Ikeja found the convict guilty of a four count charge offence preferred against
him by the Lagos state government in accordance with section 295(2) of the
Criminal Law of Lagos State.
She
said the minimum penalty provided by the law is death sentence for each of the
four account offence for which the convict was charged.
"In accordance with the
provision of the law, you are hereby sentenced to death by hanging by the neck
until death. May the Lord have mercy on us", she said.
The
Prosecution, Mr. Akin George had accused Adebowale of robbing one Alhaja
Amudalat Olowo-Eyo of gold jewelries
valued over five hundred thousand naira,
cash of three hundred and fifty thousand naira and other valuable documents at
gun point.
The
prosecutor said the convict, with others at large, robbed their victims on
December 28, 2012 between 1.00 a.m. and 2.00 am at their residence, 10,
Aiyetolu Street, Abule Egba, Lagos.
The
convict, when arraigned last year, had pleaded not guilty to the four count
charge.
During
trial, the complainant, Alhaja Olowo-Eyo had told the court how the convict and
others at large robbed her
at her residence.
She
had told the court that she and her family were gathered in their parlour and told that they would waste their lives if they
refused to cooperate with them.
She
said she identified the convict as being among bricklayers brought in by her
landlord for the renovation of the house two days before the incident.
She
said that after robbing them, her husband was able to pin one of the robbers
down, a situation that gave her courage to also hold to another robber next to
her.
In
order to free him, she said the robber shot her twice in the chest but that God
kept her alive.
She
said colleagues of the convict who escaped came back 20 minutes later and
rained bullets on their apartment.
She
said one of her daughters was hit in the stomach, another on the back while her
son was hit on the thigh.
She
said the incidence was reported at Ile Epo Police station while they were
treated at the General Hospital in the area.
Delivering
judgement in the matter, Justice Ipaye dismissed the alibi provided by the
convict that he was away in Akure for his marriage introduction ceremony on the
day of the incident.
She
also described as not
credible, the evidence provided by the supposed father in-law who told the
court during trial he met the convict for the first time on the day of the
ceremony.
Citing
several authorities, the trial judge noted that the evidence provided
before the court by the complainant and her daughter among other evidences were not controverter by
the defense led by his counsel, Yemi Omodele.
Justice
Ipaye said the prosecution proved their charge of conspiracy as the act was
carried out by more than one person.
She
also said that the prosecution proved the case of armed robbery against the
convict.
Justice
Ipaye sentenced the convict to death "by hanging by the neck until death”
stressing that the prosecution has proved his case beyond reasonable doubt.
No comments:
Post a Comment