Three Nigerians jailed for robbery

Accra, Nov. 30, GNA - A Nigerian on Wednesday wept uncontrollably at an Accra Fast Track High Court when the court found him guilty on charges of conspiracy and robbery and jailed him for 10 years. Paul Okosisi, a first offender, came out of the dock and knelt down shouting "My Lord, I am not guilty."

His accomplices, Prince Emeka Chidi and Prosper Nnaji Oreke, who are already serving 25-year jail term on similar offence by another court, were not perturbed when the Court handed down 10-year jail terms for each of them.

Okosisi's continued to weep after the court had completed its sitting for the day.

Okosisi, Chidi and Oreke earlier pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and robbery but a seven-member jury returned a verdict of guilty. The case of prosecution is that on December 12, 2000, Mrs Mauld Yabi, a businesswoman and second-hand clothes dealer, left her shop at Kantamanto to go to her warehouse at Gbewa in Accra. Three of her children were, however, at the shop.

The prosecution said immediately the complainant got to the warehouse, two of the convicts armed with AK 47 rifles ordered her to get of her BMW car and surrender all her money and belongings. The convicts took away her BMW car, a bag containing 5,000 dollars, 2.2 million cedis, a camera, clothes and other personal belongings. The prosecution said they later abandoned her BMW car at Ablekuma. The prosecutor said when the convicts were arrested in another robbery incident and their pictures published in the newspapers, the complainant identified them and lodged a complaint.