A high court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
has sentenced a 23-years-old, Tope Abiodun, to death by hanging for stealing an
android LG phone sold at N87,000. The court also sentenced a teenager, Godfrey
Emmanuel, to 14 years imprisonment for assisting Abiodun to commit the crime.
According to the prosecution counsel, Simon Lough, the
convicts had positioned themselves half naked at Impresist junction in Karmo,
Abuja to commit the act.
The defendants approached the victim, Jacob Habila,
and asked him to allow them make a distress call to their brother, claiming
that they were victims of a robbery attack. Habila who was touched by their
story, brought out his phone to call the number that was given to him when they
attacked him. Lough told the court that Emmanuel brought out a knife and
stabbed him on the victim on his head, while Abiodun escaped with the phone.
With blood dripping from his face, the victim screamed for help, which led to
the arrest of Emmanuel.
Abiodun was also arrested a few days later after the
matter was reported to the police.
The presiding judge, Justice Chizoba Orji, found the
1st and 2nd accused persons guilty as charged.
She said: “This court is convinced that there was
robbery. PW4 gave cogent evidence of the incident and how the 2nd defendant
snatched his phone and ran away and the defendants confessed that they used
knife to rob.”
“PW4 arrested the 2nd defendant some few days later
and took him to the police, while the 3rd defendant was arrested with the
stolen phone.”
“All these are cogent and direct evidence of
conspiracy. I find that the offence of criminal conspiracy to commit armed
robbery have been proved beyond all reasonable doubts against the 1st and 2nd
defendants.”
The prosecution has tendered exhibits, including the
picture of the victim showing head injury, his shirt, which was soaked with blood.
He needs not tender the knife in evidence where there is overwhelming evidence
of the commission of the crime by the defendants.”