From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
An Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure has convicted a middle aged man, Yahaya Bashiru to death by hanging.
The court presided over by Justice S.A Bola found the convict guilty of armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms and stealing.
Justice Bola said that the court established that the convict had in December 2015, in Akure, the Ondo State capital robbed one Mrs. Bukola Ademola of her valuables and money amounting to N100,000 on two occasions and on another occasion also stole her generating set.
Bashiru who pleaded not guilty to the five count charge preferred against him during prosecution was said to be an ex-convict.
The complainant while testifying before the court said she was returning from her shop when the convict robbed her.
According to the police witness, Mr Olakanmi Otadokun, the Police recovered a locally made gun and other weapons from the convict when he was arrested.
While reading the judgment, the judge said “following the testimony of the complainant which I have no cause to disbelieve and the forensic analysis which led the police to the first defendant, the convict had indeed taken part in the armed robbery.”
He found him guilty of conspiracy, armed robbery and illegal possession of firearms, adding that the prosecution has been able to prove all the charges leveled against him.
The judge wondered why the convict would go about with a gun in his bag without being a member of any security agency as the police witness had testified before the court.
However, the defense counsel, Mr Abdurrahman Yusuf of the Legal Aid Council urged the court to temper justice with mercy, saying his client was a first offender who has aged parents and has been remorseful when he was in the prison custody.
The judge later sentenced him to death by hanging while he discharged and acquitted others fingered in the case.