An Osun State High Court has sentenced four men to death by hanging for armed robbery and murder.
The convicts: Hammed Rafiu (37), Rasidi Waidi (39), Kayode Sunday (29) and Owolabi Bashiru (54) were arraigned before the court on six counts charges on 23rd October, 2019.
The charge sheet listed their offences as conspiracy, contrary to section 6(b), armed robbery, contrary to and punishable under section 1(1) and (2) (a) (b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap R11, Laws of Federation of Nigeria; conspiracy to murder, contrary to section 324; murder, contrary to and punishable under section 319; stealing, contrary to and punishable under section 390(9) and kidnapping, contrary to and punishable under section 364 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume 2, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.
According to the prosecution counsel from the Ministry of Justice, Dele Akintayo, the four-man gang murdered one Victor Akinbile a cousin to former deputy governor, Adegboyega Benedict Alabi, who had travelled down to Ikirun, Osun State on 26th November, 2018 to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Alabi and Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.
They had pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them, but the court ordered their remand in correctional custody.
During the trial, investigation revealed that Rafiu, Waidi and Sunday had earlier robbed Alhaji Azeez Olusegun behind Oluwo’s House Eweta, Ikirun on October 8, 2018, where the trio stole a Toyota Camry with registration number JJJ 371 AA Lagos and also collected N620,000.
The prosecution counsel Dele Akintayo during the trial called four witnesses and tendered several exhibits before the court while the convicts testified by themselves.
Earlier, the counsel to the convicts S.B. Ajibade and Adedayo Adedeji told the court that there was no evidence to show that the then accused persons committed the offences and urged the court to discharge and acquit them.
Justice Falola agreed that prosecution counsel had proved his case beyond any reasonable doubt and hence convicted them on the six-count charges preferred against them.
Justice Falola who described the case as technical applauded the police for a job well done and sentenced them accordingly: count one, life improvement; count two: death sentence’ count three, life imprisonment; count four death sentence, count five, five years imprisonment and count six, seven years imprisonment.
