From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
A division of the High Court of Justice Of Kogi State sitting at Isanlu in Yagba East Local Government Area has sentenced a 38-year-old man, Babtunde Adura, to ten years imprisonment for armed robbery and criminal conspiracy.
The convict was arraigned along with two others in 2020 for armed robbery and criminal conspiracy but his other two members escaped from the prison during the 2021 Kabba jail break which occurred in December last year. The court dispensed justice on the sole defendant.
The trial judge of the court, Hon. Justice Abubakar Suleiman Ibrahim, found the convict guilty of the offence after the defendant confessed to the sale of items carted away during the robbery incidence which occurred in August 2020 at Olukere-Amuro in Mopa-Moro Local Government Area.
It was gathered that the convict and others at large broke into many houses and dispossessed their victims of their valuables including handsets.
In addition to admitting committing the offence, when his extra judicial statement to the police was tendered in evidence, the convict’s counsel Mr Segun Senibi did not oppose same. The prosecuting counsel, J. J. Ifepariola, was also able to convince the court of his involvement in the crime.
Witnesses were called by the prosecutor while the defendant’s evidence in his confessional statement pointed to the fact of his culpability.
He and his co-conspirators were armed with locally made pistol, which he confessed to have stolen too, and committed the offence in the said area.
Babtunde Adura, was however, sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by the trial judge Hon. Justice Abubakar Suleiman with no option of fine.