27-Year-Old Ekiti Man Gets Life Jail Term For Armed Robbery

An Ekiti High Court on Wednesday sentenced one Alex Peter to life imprisonment for conspiracy and armed robbery.

Delivering his judgment, Justice Adekunle Adeleye said in consideration of the evidence of the prosecution and exhibits tendered, the prosecution had proven its case of conspiracy and armed robbery against Peter beyond a reasonable doubt.

Adeleye said the prosecution had also established that at the time of the robbery, the convict and his accomplice, now at large, were armed with a knife, cutlass and axe. “It is in evidence that the convict confessed that he was one of the armed robbers.

“I find Alex Peter guilty as charged.

“On the whole, Peter is hereby sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment for conspiracy and life imprisonment for the offence of armed robbery,” the judge said.

According to the prosecution counsel, Ola Akinwumi, the convict was arraigned on Dec. 29, 2022, on a two-count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery.

He said that the convict and another now at large, on May 16, 2022, in Ado-Ekiti, while armed with a cutlass and an axe, stole a red Bajaj motorcycle marked AMK 569 UJ and ₦15,000 in cash, which belonged to one Augustine Steve.

Akinwumi said the offence was contrary to Sections 312 and 314 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.

In his testimony, Steve said he was a commercial motorcyclist. The convict stopped him at about 8:45 p.m. along NTA Road, Ado Ekiti, on May 16, 2022, and requested to be taken to Judges’ Quarters in Ado Ekiti.

”When he got there, he alighted from the motorcycle, and another person came out from the bush with an axe and a cutlass.

“They collected ₦15,000 cash from me and took my motorcycle away. I saw the convict’s face clearly because there was a street lamp on the road.

“I reported the matter at New Iyin Road Police Station, Ado Ekiti.“ On the third day, I saw the convict at a restaurant and grabbed him; some passersby helped me, called in the police, and he was arrested.

“The convict had initially denied robbing me of my motorcycle, but the motorcycle was later found in his house when the police went to search his house,” Steve said.

To prove his case, the prosecutor called four witnesses and tendered the convict’s statements, motorcycle particulars, among others, as exhibits.

The convict spoke through his lawyer, Stanley Okonkwo, and called no witnesses.