Armed Robbery: Man sentenced to death for stealing phones, beer, cigarettes
An Ado-Ekiti High Court has sentenced a man, Raji Babatunde, to death for robbery.
Babatunde and his four-man gang had robbed one Alhaji Mudsahiru Bello at his house at No. 15, Odundun Street, Okesa and 5C, Dallimore Street, Ado-Ekiti on June 30, 2014.
The gang, armed to the teeth, dispossessed Bello of two Nokia phones and one Tecno phone.
They also robbed one Oladele Femi of one bottle of Star lager beer, six bottles of trophy lager beer and one packet of Rothmans cigarette, wielding offensive weapons such as axe and cutlass.
Some policemen on patrol arrived the scene and arrested Babatunde, while trying to escape with the proceeds of the crime.
His three other gang members successfully escaped.
Babatunde and his accomplice, Adegboye Sunday, were first arraigned for the offences on February 1, 2016. The pleaded not guilty.
Babatunde had fingered Sunday as being part of the criminal gang.
The presiding judge, Justice Cornelius Akintayo, on Wednesday, held that the Prosecution proved the case against Babatunde beyond reasonable doubt.
Sunday was, however, set free by the judge due to lack of sufficient evidence.
None of the witnesses called to give evidence in the case linked Sunday to the crime, leaving the court with no option but to set him free.
The prosecution called four witnesses, while exhibits including voluntary confessional statement, four machetes, one knife, one bottle of Trophy beer, broken bottle of Star beer, one radio set and one fez cap, were tendered before the court.
The only witness called by Babatunde was his mother who testified that she and her son were coming from a church vigil the night he was arrested.
His mother told the court that she was surprised to hear that he was arrested for robbery.
