EKITI COURT SENTENCES MAN TO DEATH BY HANGING FOR ARMED ROBBERY

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An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced a 51-year-old man, Owoeye Ojo, to death by hanging after finding him guilty of armed robbery.

The convict, Ojo, was arraigned on August 25, 2023, on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, attempted murder, and armed robbery. The offences were committed at different locations in Ado Ekiti in May 2023.

According to the charge, Ojo and others still at large, on May 21, 2023, attacked two women, Adeyemi Funmilayo and Adesola Omolola, at Oluwole Orungbe Street, Ado Ekiti. Armed with guns, cutlasses, and an axe, the attackers robbed one of the victims of her handbag containing cash and a mobile phone valued at N85,000.

A separate incident occurred on May 12, 2023, at Ilokun, Ado Ekiti, where Ojo and his accomplices also robbed Adesola Omolola of her laptop, mobile phones, flash drives, and N10,000 in cash.

One of the victims, Omolola, recounted her ordeal during the trial. She told the court that the robbers forced their way into her home around 8 p.m., armed with weapons, and ordered her and her children to cooperate while they carted away valuables worth over ₦710,000. She later identified Ojo at the office of the Rapid Response Squad following his arrest in the neighborhood.

The prosecution, led by O. F. Ajumobi, presented four witnesses and tendered several exhibits, including a single-barrel gun, live cartridges, the defendant’s confessional statement, and photographs of the victims. The defence, represented by Lawrence Fasanmi, did not call any witnesses.

Delivering judgment, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye held that the prosecution had proven the case beyond reasonable doubt.

“With the credible evidence before the court, the prosecution has established that there was indeed a robbery at the victims’ premises, and the defendant was actively involved,” Justice Ogunmoye ruled.

The judge subsequently sentenced Ojo to death by hanging, concluding the proceedings with the words:
“May God have mercy upon his soul.”