Justice L.O. Ogundana of the Ekiti State High Court in Ado-Ekiti has sentenced four men to death by hanging on Thursday over charges of murder and armed robbery.
The four men, identified as Sola Ogunleye, Ebenezer Adebayo, Lasisi Afeez, and Ojo Oba, were arraigned on charges of murder, attempted murder, and armed robbery.
The offenses committed are contrary to Section 6(b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap. R11, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004, and to Sections 319(1) and 320 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap. C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012, regarding murder and attempted murder.
Ekiti News reports that Justice Ogundana also convicted and sentenced the same defendants to life imprisonment for the offense of attempted murder.
The convicts committed the offenses on May 29, 2017, at Oyan Orete Camp in Ijan, Ekiti. During the incident, the camp’s occupants were robbed at gunpoint. Olasunkanmi Ramon was murdered, and Alhaji Adeleye Usman was struck on the head with a cutlass by the gang.
Julius Ajibare, the Director of Public Prosecutions called five witnesses and tendered seven exhibits.
The convicts, represented by counsel Chris Omokhafe and Oluwaseun Oye Banji, testified in their defense and called two additional witnesses.
In his judgment, the Court ruled that the prosecution had proven all the defendants’ offenses beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Judge convicted all the defendants, sentencing them to death by hanging for conspiracy, armed robbery, and murder, and to life imprisonment for attempted murder.