An Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division, handed down sentences totaling 140 years to six persons for charges including conspiracy, robbery, and receiving stolen property.
Ekiti News reports that four of the convicts received seven years imprisonment each for conspiracy and 21 years each for robbery, while the remaining two were sentenced to 14 years each for receiving stolen property.
The defendants – Lateef Bamisile (31), Omodara Sanya (32), Lasisi Talabi (27), Omojola Damilare (30), Adamu Mohammed (39) and Abubakar Garuba (52), were arraigned on August 31, 2022, on five counts bordering on conspiracy, attempt to murder, robbery and receiving stolen properties, contrary to Sections 421, 241, 312(2)(b) and 343 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
According to the charge, “The defendants on 13th February, 11th April, 4th May, 10th May and 17th May in the year 2022, did conspire to rob Iji Taiwo, Akinyemi Sunday and Ajayi Sunday of their Bajaj motorcycles and attempted to murder the victims.
“Also on 17th May 2022, Adamu Mohammed and Abubakar Garba received two stolen Bajaj motorcycles each from Lateef Bamisile, all in Ado Ekiti within the jurisdiction of this honourable court. As at the time of the incidents, they were armed with sticks, cutlasses and axes.”
One of the victims in his statement to the police, noted that a commercial motorcyclist said that he conveyed one of the defendants from the Oke-Ila area of the state to a place near Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
He said, “When we got there, he asked me to wait for him, he pretended to be knocking a gate. Suddenly, a man appeared from behind with a cutlass, he ordered me to come down. When I refused, he gave me a machete cut on my neck, head, hand and back. When I fell, the passenger joined him and they escaped with my motorcycle.”
Oluwaseun Olasanmi, the prosecutor called nine witnesses and tendered defendants’ statements, motorcycle particulars and bond to produce, as exhibits.
The defendants, who spoke through their respective lawyers, called no witnesses.
Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi, in his judgment on Tuesday, said, “Going through the confessional statement of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants, we could see a trend of series of robberies committed by them on motorcycles by applying pepper on their eyes and sometimes threatening with a cutlass.”
“It is trite that the court can convict on the confessional statement of an accused. Subsequently, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants are guilty of conspiracy and they are hereby sentenced to seven years imprisonment each and 21 years imprisonment each for robbery.
“The 5th and 6th defendants, Adamu Mohammed and Abubakar Garba are found guilty of receiving stolen motorcycles. They are accordingly sentenced to 14 years imprisonment each,” the judge pronounced.