NIGERIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR ARMED ROBBERY

July 8, 2020:

An Abeokuta High Court in Ogun State on 7 July 2020 sentenced one Lukeman Kuti to death by hanging for armed robbery.
Mr Kuti, who was arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery, had pleaded not guilty to the charge.
But delivering judgment, Justice Ayokunle Rotimi-Balogun said that the evidence tendered had convinced the court beyond reasonable doubt that the convict committed the offences.
She, thereafter, sentenced Mr Kuti to death by hanging.
Earlier at the trial, the prosecution counsel, Olalade Shittu, had told the court that the convict committed the offences on 10 December 2012, at 12 a.m. at Makun, in Sagamu area of Ogun.
Mrs Shittu said that the convict, while armed with dangerous weapons, including cutlass, entered into the apartment of one Mariam Shobande and robbed her of her BlackBerry phone, HP laptop and money.
She further stated that the convict gained entrance into the complainant’s apartment when she went to switch off her generator.
“The convict held the complainant while leading her into the room, hit her with the cutlass on her body and caused her body injury and also beat her up.
“The convict thereafter, carted away the complainant’s BlackBerry handset, HP laptop and N53,000,” the prosecutor said.
Mrs Shittu said that the convict was arrested through the tracking of the blackberry phone he stole and which was later recovered from the lady he sold the phone to.