BY ABIODUN NEJO
An Ekiti State High Court, sitting in Ado Ekiti, has sentenced a 21-year-old man, Abdulateef Babatunde, to death by hanging for robbing two men, including a policeman, of their motorcycles.
Justice Dele Omotoso found Babatunde guilty on the two-count charge of armed robbery preferred against him.
The prosecution called six witnesses and tendered exhibits including the stolen motorcycle, statement of the convict and one locally made pistol while the defence did not call any witness.
According to the charge sheet, Babatunde, armed with offensive
weapons, including a gun “on or about 16th June, 2016, along NTA Road, Ado-Ekiti, robbed one Sergeant Babatimilehin Kayode of his Bajaj motorcycle with registration number GED 550 QA.
Babatunde also robbed one Sergeant Sheidu Ganiyu of his Bajaj motorcycle with registration number ADK 193 QH.
Babatunde stopped Babatimilehin and asked for his okada ticket but the policeman told the convict that he was not a commercial motorcyclist (okada).
The policeman said the convict brought out a locally made pistol pointed it at him and dispossessed him of the bike, but was later arrested after being given a hot chase by some okada riders and he (Babatunde) was taken to Okesa Police Station.
Ganiyu, in his evidence, told the court that he gave the convict a ride on his motorcycle from Egbewa area heading for Abuja Quarters but the convict asked that he be dropped in a lonely place.
The victim told the court that three men emerged from the bush in the area and pointed guns at him and they made away with his motorcycle.
Ganiyu explained that he later heard that the convict had been arrested and the motorcycle recovered from him.
