Court Sentences 37-Year-Old Man To Death For Robbing Varsity Students 

An Ekiti State high Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced a man, Ayeni Tunde Kazeem to death by hanging for the offence of armed robbery.

The 37 year old defendant, was arraigned before Justice Lekan Olatawura on 16/6/2025 on five count charge bordering on armed robbery.

The charge reads,  “That the defendant on 2nd October, 2024 at Bamidele Olumilua University of Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti (BOESTI) within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did rob the following students, Adewale Moyinoluwa, Ogunbolude Oluwanifemi, Ojo Oluwamayowa, Sidiq Simbiat and Oloruntoba Nifemi of their phones, such as; Infinix Smart 7, Itel A04, Infinix Smart 6, Samsung Galaxy S6 and Techno Pop 8, all valued at #680,000, as at the time of the robbery, he was armed with a gun.37.”

The offences, according to the charge are contrary to Section 312(2)(a) of the Criminal Laws of Ekiti State, 2021.

One of the victims, Adewale Moyinoluwa in her testimony before the court, said, “Myself and my roommates were in our room around 9:10 pm, we heard a knock on the door and one of us went to open the door, immediately one man who wore a lemon dress with blue short jeans entered, he held a double barrel pistol, he commanded us to start submitting our phones. We initially thought it was a joke, he dipped his hand in his pocket and brought some cartridges, he started fixing it into the gun and later pointed it at us. We submitted all our phones and he parked everything, he told to lock our door from the back and we should not shout but we started shouting when he left,” she concluded.

The prosecutor, Salem Bade-Gboyega called seven witnesses and tendered defendant’s confessional statements, lemon green hoodie cardigan, ATM cards and search warrant as exhibits to prove his case.

The defendant who spoke in his own defense through his lawyer Amir Salami, called no witness but prayed the court to temper justice with mercy.

Delivering his judgement, Justice Olatawura said, ‘I am unable to exercise any discretion in favour of a defendant who showed no remorse throughout his trial, the punishment for armed robbery is one of the strict applications.Consequent thereupon on the foregoing, I find the defendant guilty of all the charges.Accordingly, the sentence of this court upon you is that you be hanged by the neck until you are dead, may God have mercy on your soul.”