Man to die by hanging for armed robbery

An Abeokuta, Ogun State High Court on Wednesday sentenced one Nurudeen Monsuru to death by hanging for armed robbery.

Monsuru, who was arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery, had pleaded not guilty to the offences.

Delivering judgment, Justice Ayokunle Rotimi-Balogun said all the evidences tendered had convinced the court beyond reasonable doubt that the convict committed the offences.

Rotimi-Balogun subsequently sentenced Monsuru to death by hanging.

At the trial, the Prosecution Counsel, Funmilayo Akinola, had told the court that the convict committed the offences on March 15, 2016 at about 9pm at Kere village on the Abeokuta-Lagos Expressway.

She said the convict and another still at large, conspired and robbed one Fatima Adedeji and other traders of their money and phones.

Akinola explained that Adedeji, a trader, and others had boarded a bus from Obada Idiemi market, but on getting to Kere village, their bus developed fault.

She said while the driver was trying to rectify the fault, the convict and one other person, armed with a gun, arrived at the scene on a Bajaj motorcycle and robbed them of their phones, bags and other valuables.

“The traders, who were stranded, went to Awowo palace to report the incident to the kabiyesi (the monarch) and they also passed the night at the palace,” the prosecution counsel had said.

She said the vivid description of the convict and the motorcycle, which bore the inscription: “No Time,” by Adedeji, led to the arrest of the earring-wearing convict.

She said the information given by the complainant made it easy for the traditional ruler and members of the vigilante group in the area to produce the convict.

Akinola said the offences contravened Section 6(b) and 1(2)( a) of the Robbery and Firearms (special provisions) Act, Cap Rll, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.