An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday sentenced a 21-year old man, Isa Abdulkareem, to death by hanging for armed robbery.

The convict, the prosecutor said, committed the offence in contravention of Section 402, Sub-section 2 of the Criminal Code, Cap C16, Laws of Ekiti State, Nigeria.

The robbery operation took place at Oke-Ureje, on Igirigiri Road, Ado-Ekiti.

The convict was arrested by the community members during a patrol and handed over to the police for investigation and prosecution.

Abdulkareem had, during the robbery, armed with offensive weapons such as gun and machete on December 19 and 23, 2016 respectively when he robbed Adeya Olalekan of a N74,000 and Infinix Note 2 phone among others.

He also robbed Olomola Taiwo of N110,000 and two Techno Y6 phones.

Delivering her judgement, Justice Oluwatoyin Abodunde said the case of robbery against the defendant was proved beyond reasonable doubt.

Abodunde added that the prosecution counsel was able to “prove every element of robbery with veracious evidence that have probative values”.

She said:

“I find the defendant guilty and convict him accordingly. He is sentenced to death by hanging and may the Lord have mercy on his soul.”

During interrogation, the convict confessed to committing the offence.

He also took security agents to his gang’s hideout where he and his members usually meet and keep their weapons.

Exhibits recovered at the hideout included four Dane guns and toy guns, locally-made pistols, four Nokia phones, four Techno phones, masks, cutlasses, charms, axe, victim’s wife’s headgear used to wrap the money, cartridges, expended cartridges, knives, pellets and N10,000 cash, among others.

To prove his case, the prosecutor, Mr. Gbemiga Adaramola, called four witnesses while all the aforementioned exhibits, including Abdulkareem’s confessional statements to the police, were tendered in court.

The convict was first arraigned on January 8, 2018, when the charges were read and interpreted to him, but he pleaded not guilty.

Abdulkareem was led in evidence by his counsel, Mr. Adeyinka Opaleke, and called no witnesses.