The Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure has sentenced three men, Uche Onu, Ekene Okorie and Celestine Eze, to d3ath by hanging for armed robbery.
The offences were contrary to punishable offenses under Section 6 (b) of the Armed Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap R11, Vol 14, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
They were also charged pursuant to S. 1 (2) (a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, R11, Vol 14, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the counts.
They allegedly committed the offence at Gasland Nigeria Limited, Akure, on April 25, 2024, at about 3:00 am, during which they made away with a gas cylinder and a vehicle.
They were said to have overpowered the security guard on duty and hit him with an iron bar on his head in the process.
The first two defendants were later arrested by the police in Benin, in possession of the vehicle which they could not give a satisfactory account of its ownership.
Their confession reportedly led to the arrest of the third defendant who was alleged to have masterminded the operation.
The second defendant, Ekene Okorie, was said to have led detectives to Lagos State where the empty gas cylinder was recovered, though efforts to arrest other members of the gang did not yield the desired result.
The three defendants denied any involvement in the armed robbery.
The first defendant stated that he was arrested in Onitsha while picking rods as a scavenger; the second defendant said he was arrested near a workshop in Anambra State, while the third defendant said he was arrested in Onitsha where he was working as an electrician.
In his judgement, Justice William Olamide, held that the evidence before the court vividly depicted the incidence of armed robbery and that the robbers were armed while carrying out the operation.
He also said that the first and second ingredients of the offence of armed robbery were proved by the prosecution beyond reasonable doubt.
He found that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that the defendants acted in concert and pursuant to the common intention to commit the crime.
On the offence of conspiracy, the defendants were sentenced to seven years imprisonment, while on the offence of armed robbery, they were sentenced to d3ath by hanging.
