Court Jails Armed Robbers Posing As Passengers For 14 Years

Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has convicted and sentenced four men to 14 years in prison each for an armed robbery committed in June 2020.

The convicts, Ojomo Taiwo, Ojomo Kehinde, Emmanuel Bamidele (known as “DPO”), and Peter Samuel (“Mogaji”), pretended to be stranded passengers at Oshodi Bridge to lure their victim.

Once inside his vehicle, they held him at gunpoint, dragged him to the back seat, assaulted him, and stole his valuables, including two mobile phones, an ATM card, and cash.

They then drove off with his Toyota Sienna, abandoning him along the Gbagada axis during the night.

A key turn of events that helped secure their conviction was the recovery of the stolen vehicle the same day at Ikeja Shopping Mall.

While inspecting the vehicle, the victim found a locally made double-barreled shotgun with live cartridges left by the attackers, which he promptly reported to the police.

This evidence proved crucial in building the case that led to the conviction.

Initially, the defendants pleaded not guilty at arraignment in 2020, but in April 2026, they entered guilty pleas under a plea bargain arrangement, admitting to lesser charges of conspiracy and armed robbery.

Justice Abike-Fadipe observed that the plea bargain was entered into voluntarily, but clarified that the court was not obliged to accept its terms.

She sentenced the four men to 14 years’ imprisonment, starting from the date of their initial remand.