Two men, Makinde Kola and Bika Haruna have been sentenced to death by hanging by an Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti.
The defendants were arraigned before the court presided over by Justice Olalekan Olatawura on six count charge bordering on conspiracy, armed robbery, rape and kidnapping.
The charge reads: “that Makinde Kola (41) and Haruna Bika (30) on 6th of October, 2021 at Idi Mango Camp, Ilasa Ekiti within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did rob Taiwo Lawrence Oni, Mohammed Ayomide of their phones and Adejuwon Gbenga of a sum of N31, 000.00. On same date and place did kidnap one Adejuwon Daramola and also rape a 19 year mother of five months old baby.
“One of the victims in his statement to the Police said, ‘I was sleeping around 1:00 a.m., I heard a very loud bang at my door, when I woke up, I saw somebody pointing gun at me from the window, he ordered me to open the door and I did, when they enter, my wife and I were beaten with cutlass, they searched everywhere in our room and took away a sum of N31, 000 I collected from a business centre in the afternoon, thereafter, they took my daughter outside and wanted to rape her but she resisted them and was shouting profusely, she was ordered to sit with those already captured outside. Thereafter, Adejuwon Daramola was kidnapped by them and later demanded for N5M ransom.’
In her separate statement, a 19-year-old mother of 5 months old baby said, “I heard one of my neighbours shouting, thief, thief, I was afraid, I carried my baby, before taking any step, they entered our house, they asked of my neighbor, I told them I did not see him, they collected the baby from me, they removed my pant and have sexual intercourse with me”, she concluded.
After their arrest by the vigilantes in the community, they were recognized and identified by their faces and cap forgotten at one of the crime scenes.
The prosecutor, Olasanmi Oluwaseun called seven witnesses and tendered defendants’ statements and cap as exhibit to prove his case.
The defendants who called one witness spoke through their counsels, Iyanu Olumuagun and J.0. Olajide.
In his judgEment, Justice Olatawura said, from the proved facts, it can be rightly inferred that there was consensus and common intention between the defendants and other suspects at large to commit unlawful acts to wit; armed robbery and kidnapping.
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