Ekiti High Court Sentences Two Men to Death by Hanging for Armed Robbery After Roadblock Attack on Travelers, Theft of Car, Phones, and Laptop
A High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, has sentenced two men, Olusegun Folorunso (53) and Ajayi Dele (51), to death by hanging for armed robbery. Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The Crime
According to court documents, the convicts committed the crime on August 24, 2022, along the Erio Ekiti Road. They were said to have conspired to rob Ajogbeje Ayodeji of his ash-colored Hyundai Sonata, phone, and laptop. On the same day and location, they also robbed Oluwasegun Oke of his phone while armed with guns and cutlasses.
One of the victims, Ajogbeje Ayodeji, recounted the terrifying incident in court. “Around 4 a.m., my brothers and I were traveling from Erio Ekiti to Ido Ekiti when we saw a barricade on the road. Before we could react, two armed men emerged and ordered us to lie face down at gunpoint. They took my car, laptop, and phones before driving away,” he testified.
Ayodeji reported the incident at the Aramoko Police Station and later at the Rapid Response Squad in Ado Ekiti. Investigations led to the arrest of the suspects in Ibadan.
Trial and Verdict
The prosecution, led by Kunle Adeyemo, presented five witnesses and submitted crucial evidence, including the suspects’ statements, a locally made single-barrel gun, a double-barrel gun, and six live cartridges.
The defense, represented by lawyers Adeyinka Opaleke and Ezekiel Agunbiade, did not call any witnesses on behalf of the accused.
Delivering his judgment, Justice Ogunyemi found both men guilty on all counts. He sentenced them to 10 years imprisonment each for conspiracy and handed down a death sentence by hanging for armed robbery.
“In the present case, I uphold the prosecution’s submission that there are sufficient facts to infer a common intention to commit armed robbery,” the judge ruled. “On the whole, the defendants are found guilty as charged. Consequently, they are sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for conspiracy and to be hanged by the neck until they are dead for armed robbery. May God have mercy on your souls.”
The ruling reaffirms the state’s tough stance on violent crimes, emphasizing the legal consequences of armed robbery in Nigeria.
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 and Ajayi Dele (51), to death by hanging for armed robbery. Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.){kind=link}