Four to die by hanging for armed robbery, murder in Ekiti

An Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division, on Thursday, sentenced four persons to death by hanging for armed robbery, murder and conspiracy.

The court also convicted and sentenced the defendants to life improvement for attempted murder.

They are Ogunleye Sola, Adebayo Ebenezer, Lasisi Afeez and Ojo Oba.

The charge read, “The defendants committed the offences on May 29, 2017, at Oyan Orete Camp, Ijan Ekiti where the occupants of the camp were robbed at gunpoint and one Olasunkanmi Ramon was murdered while Alhaji Adeleye Usman was attacked with a cutlass on the head by the defendants.

“The offences committed by the four defendants are contrary to Section 6(b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap. R11, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004; Murder and Attempt to Murder contrary to sections 319(1) and 320 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap.C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.”

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Julius Ajibare, who prosecuted the case for Ekiti State, called five witnesses and tendered seven exhibits to prove his case.

The defendants spoke through their counsel, Chris Omokhafe and Oluwaseun Banji, who gave evidence in their defence and called two other witnesses.

In the judgment, Justice Olukayode Ogundana held that the prosecution proved all the offences against the defendants beyond reasonable doubt.

The judge consequently convicted all the defendants and sentenced them to death by hanging for the offences of conspiracy, armed robbery and murder just as he sentenced them to life imprisonment for attempted murder.