Nigerian man to die by hanging for phone theft

An Ado Ekiti High Court has sentenced a middle-aged man, Isa Abdulkareem, to death by hanging for armed robbery.

Justice Mosunmola Abodunde, while delivering the judgment on Friday, held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubts and consequently found the defendant guilty as charged.

During the trial, the prosecutor from the state Ministry of Justice, Mr Gbemiga Adaramola, told the court that Abdulkareem, armed with a gun and cutlass, robbed one Taiwo Olomola of N110, 000 and Techno phones.

Adaramola said Abdulkareem carried out the robbery on December 19, 2016, at Ureje area in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

He said, “Abdulkareem also robbed one Adeya Olalekan of N74, 000 and an Infinix Note 2 phone. The two-count charges of conspiracy and armed robbery contravened Section 402 (2) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C 16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.” Abdulkareem had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The convict was said to have been arrested at the point of the crime with weapons and other exhibits, which made it easy for the police to bring witnesses to testify against him.

The prosecutor called four witnesses to prove his case and tendered exhibits including the two guns, five live cartridges, phones, as well as a confessional statement of the convict.

The convict was represented by Mr Adeyinka Opaleke, who called only the convict as his witness during the trial.