The Osun State High Court in Osogbo has sentenced four men to death by hanging for armed robbery and murder.
Justice Jide Falola ruled that the convicts should never benefit from any pardon or amnesty in future.
The convicts, Hammed Rafiu, 37, Rasidi Waidi, 39, Kayode Sunday, 29 and Owolabi Bashiru, 54, a security guard, were arraigned before the court on October 23, 2019 on six counts, but had sentence passed on them on Monday.
The four men, were arraigned on charges of conspiracy, contrary to Section 6(b), Armed Robbery, contrary to and punishable under section 1(1) and (2) (a) (b), of the Robbery and Firearms (special provisions) Act, Cap R11, Laws of Federation of Nigeria, Conspiracy to murder, contrary to section 324, murder, contrary to and punishable under section 319, stealing, contrary to and punishable under section 390(9) and kidnapping, contrary to and punishable under section 364 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume 2, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.
They had pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them, but the court’s Justice Jide Falola ordered their remand in correctional custody.
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According to the prosecution Counsel from the Ministry of Justice, Dele Akintayo, the four-man gang murdered one Victor Akinbile, a cousin of former Osun State Deputy Governor, Adegboyega Benedict Alabi, who travelled to Ikirun, Osun State on November 26, 2018 to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the former Deputy Governor and Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.
Akintayo informed the Court that Victor Akinbile, who slept in his uncle’s house at Moboreje Area, Ikirun called his wife upon arrival in the said house on November 26, 2018,to inform her of her safe arrival.
Prosecution Counsel further said that Owolabi Bashiru, a security guard opposite the house informed Hammed Rafiu, Rashidi Waidi and Kayode Sunday that Victor Akinbile had arrived from Lagos and lodged in a house directly opposite his duty post at Basorun House, Moboreje Area.
The convicts, who were reportedly armed with offensive weapons, including guns, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons, jumped the fence into the house owned by Victor Akinbile’s uncle and forcibly gained entrance into the room where the victim slept.
Having gained entrance into the house through the burglary window, they demanded the sum of N10 million from Victor who told them he didn’t have up to that amount, disclosing that he had N5 million in his Bank account.
He transferred a sum of N3 million to Hammed Rafiu’s bank account in United Bank for Africa (UBA), and this one collected hundreds of thousands of naira cash from the victim, having threatened to kill him.
The Convicts later kidnapped Victor Akinbile and put him inside his Toyota Camry car boot.
They then drove him to Dominion Camp area, old Iragbiji road along Ikirun/ Osogbo road, where they set him and the car ablaze, leading to the death of Victor Akinbile.
Investigation during trial revealed that Hammed Rafiu, Rashidi Waidi and Kayode Sunday had earlier robbed Alhaji Azeez Olusegun behind Oluwo’s House, Eweta, Ikirun on October 8, 2018, where the trio stole a Toyota Camry (Muzzle) with registration number JJJ 371 AA LAGOS and also collected N620,000. Hammed Rafiu and Rashidi Waidi were arrested at Ogijo in Ogun State, Kayode Sunday in Ondo State, while Owolabi Bashiru was nabbed in Ikirun.
Akintayo had earlier called four witnesses, tendered several exhibits, including confessional statements by the convicts, before the court.
Counsel to Owolabi Bashiru, fourth accused person, S.B Ajibade and Adedayo Adedeji, counsel to Hammed Rafiu, Rashidi Waidi and Kayode Sunday, earlier told the court that there was no evidence to show that the accused persons held a meeting before the robbery incident and urged the court to discharge and acquit the accused.
Justice Falola agreed that prosecution counsel Dele Akintayo Esquire had proven his case beyond any reasonable doubt and convicted them on the six counts preferred against them.
