7 to hang in Ondo for killing US-based Nigerian

An Ondo State High Court in Akure has sentenced seven men to death by hanging for robbing and murdering a Nigerian based in the United States of America (USA). The convicts were said to have invaded the home of the deceased along Akure-Owo expressway recently during one of his journeys to Nigeria and killed him […]

An Ondo State High Court in Akure has sentenced seven men to death by hanging for robbing and murdering a Nigerian based in the United States of America (USA).

The convicts were said to have invaded the home of the deceased along Akure-Owo expressway recently during one of his journeys to Nigeria and killed him after robbing him of valuables in the presence of his wife and family members.

The convicted persons – Jimoh Sodiq aka Akamo, Blessing Ogunlade, Yomi Balogun aka Regal, Oluwaseun Oluwalola aka Iyan, Akeem Adedayo, Oso John Omoniyi aka Bosco and Sodiq Babatunde – were found guilty of armed robbery, conspiracy to commit murder and illegal possession of firearms.

Delivering the judgement yesterday, Justice Samuel Bola held that the prosecuting counsel and officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) had proved beyond reasonable doubt that the convicts robbed the deceased using a gun to kill him at his home on Owo expressway in Akure on July 4, 2017 when he came to Nigeria for a vacation.

Justice Bola said the offenses were contrary to the Robbery and Firearms Act, Laws of the Federation (2004) and the Criminal Code, Laws of Ondo State (2006).

The court also sentenced to one-year imprisonment the eighth offender, Damilola Samuel aka Mama, a girlfriend of one of the convicts for allegedly aiding and keeping incriminating materials.

Damilola was said to have aided the removal of the plasma television, laptops and other incriminating materials which were stolen goods from the residence.

The wife of the deceased, Abimbola Adafin, who narrated how the armed robbers invaded their residence, said she was in the bedroom along with her husband and daughter when one Hannah Temitope (a relative) and Deborah Petti (a housemaid), who were living with the family, suddenly screamed, prompting her to rush out to the living room.

She said when she got to the sitting room, she saw the two women held at gunpoint by two armed men.

She said in panic she ran back to her room but unknown to her, the armed robbers had gained access inside the house through the kitchen.