By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
An Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division has sentenced six men to a total of 140 years for conspiracy, robbery and receiving stolen properties
While four of the convicts were sentenced to 21 years each for robbery and seven years each for conspiracy, the remaining two were jailed for 14 years each for receiving stolen properties.
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 property, 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 February 13, April 11, May 4, May 10 and May 17 in 2022, did conspire to rob Iji Taiwo, Akinyemi Sunday and Ajayi Sunday of their Bajaj motorcycles and attempted to murder the victims.
“Also, on May 17, 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 of the time of the incidents, they were armed with sticks, cutlasses and axes.”
In his statement to the police, one of the victims said he conveyed one of the defendants from Oke-Ila area to a place near the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti.
He said, “When we got there, he asked me to wait for him, he pretended to be knocking at the 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.”
The prosecutor, Oluwaseun Olasanmi, called nine witnesses and tendered defendants’ statements, motorcycles particulars and bond to produce, as exhibits.
The defendants, who spoke through their respective lawyers, called no witness.
In his judgment on Tuesday, Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi said, “Going through the confessional statement of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants, we could see a trend of a series of robberies committed by them on motorcycles by applying pepper on their eyes and sometime 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.