Date: 2017-03-31

An Ilorin High Court, Kwara state, has sentenced three persons to death by hanging for armed robbery and attempt to commit culpable homicide against a professor in the University of Ilorin, Abdullahi Onimisi.

The culprits are Opeyemi Esan, Benjamin Moses Musa and Oluwasegun Omoyajowo Ajiboye.

They were convicted of robbery punishable under Section 1 (2) Robbery and Firearms Act, CAP R 11, LFN 2004.

The first accused was former driver to the university professor.

The state attorney general and commissioner for Justice, Kamalden Ajibade, who led the prosecution had told the court that the convict was disengaged due to his unruly behaviours, but he was aggrieved with his dismissal and organised the robbery attack to retaliate his sack by the professor.

In his confession to the police, the first accused person said he recruited the second and third accused persons from Lagos to "treat the fuck up of his former boss".

"On September 10, 2016 at the Senior Staff Quarters, University of Ilorin, the accused persons while armed with offensive weapons including guns, machete robbed one Prof. Abdullahi Onimisi and his family of their properties including car, handsets, jewelleries and other valuables," the prosecution said.

During the trial, Ajibade called 10 witnesses and tendered 59 exhibits including eyewitnesses, civilian and police witnesses.

In his judgement, Justice H Saleeman agreed that the prosecution had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.

"The society need to do away with the likes of the accused persons in order to have a sane society," the judge held.

Saleeman further held that the offences of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and attempt to commit culpable homicide were established against the accused persons and thereby sentenced the accused persons to death by hanging.

"Indeed, death is the wage of capital offence," the court said.