By Onoriode Etatsemi
TWO persons, namely Abdulrasheed Mohammed and Aliyu Bawa have been sentenced to death by an Asaba High Court, having been found guilty of robbing a commercial tricycle popularly known as ‘keke’ passenger of telephone handsets.
Prosecution led by Mrs. Esther Azomani of the Asaba Zonal Office of the State Ministry of Justice had told the court the two defendants, Abdulrasheed Mohammed (m) and Aliyu Bawa (m), were alleged to have committed the offences on 29th May, 2020 at Oni Edozien Street, off Ezenei Avenue, Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria.
It stated that on the fateful day, “the two Defendants alongside two others now at large, while riding in a tricycle (Keke) robbed one Ifeanyi Okafor of his mobile phone handsets.
In the process of the armed robbery, the victim was stabbed on his chest and he later died”.
According to the Prosecution who called witnesses to prove the case told the court that the 1st and 2nd Defendants (convicted to death) made away with the phones, which they later sold to the 3rd Defendant, one Daniel Joseph for N6,000.
Although the number of the phone handsets weren’t stated but Police detectives tracked the phones to the 3rd defendant, who led them (Police) to arrest the 1st and 2nd Defendants.
The Court presided over by Honourable Justice Onome Marshall-Umukoro in the judgment, sentenced two to death for Armed Robbery and Murder by holding that the prosecution proved the case against the 1st and 2nd Defendants beyond reasonable doubt.
The Judge found them guilty of the offences as charged and convicted them accordingly.
On the case against the 3rd defendant who bought the phone, the court discharged and acquitted him of the offence of receiving robbed property, stating that it was not proved beyond reasonable doubt.