Justice Jide
Falola of an Osun State High Court sitting in Okuku has sentenced two robbers
to death for stealing fowls.
The
convicts, Olowookere Segun and Morakinyo Sunday, were found guilty of forcefully
breaking into the house of Mr. Balogun Tope, a police officer attached to
Divisional Police headquarters, Okuku, in April 2010 and carting away some of
his belongings.
The convicts
were charged with conspiracy, robbery and stealing contrary to Section 6(b) and
1(2)(a) of Robbery and Firearm (Special Provisions) Act, cap R 11 Laws of
Federation of Nigeria 2004 and Section (390)(1) Criminal Code Law, Cap 34, Laws
of Osun State, 2002.
The
prosecution team, led by the state Solicitor-General, Mrs Abiola Adewemimo,
called six witnesses and tendered several exhibits during the prosecution.
Mrs
Adewemimo told the court that on November 13, 2010, men were sighted around Balogun’s
home armed with cutlass and a dane gun, and that while two of them were
arrested, others escaped.
The convicts
were said to have confessed that they stole the complainant’s fowls, adding
that they had been in his house before to steal.
The
prosecution said: “They also stated that they had earlier robbed Alhaja Umani
Oyewo in her house and stole broilers, eggs and kegs of vegetable oil from the
house.”
In his
judgment, Justice Falola convicted them on only three counts: to death for
conspiracy; life sentence for robbery, and three years imprisonment for
stealing.
Justice
Falola recommended that the governor can decide to commute the death sentence
to 10 years imprisonment, considering the convicts’ ages.
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