Civil Defence Officers Sentenced to Death By Hanging
An Ikeja High Court has sentenced one Azonta Amarachukwu and Ajayi Adebayo to death by hanging for Conspiracy to Commit Robbery and Armed Robbery under Sections 299 and 297[2][b] of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Justice Onyindamola Ogala sentenced Azonta Amarachukwu and Ajayi Adebayo to death by hanging following their conviction of a two-count charge brought against them by the state.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty when arraigned.
Justice Onyindamola Ogala held that the prosecutor had proved the case of conspiracy to commit robbery and armed robbery.
“The Defendants are NSCDC officials who embarked on an illegal midnight operation on the 30th of January, 2018, into the early hours of the 31st of January, 2018. At about 2 am, whilst armed with a gun and other offensive weapons, I hijacked Iveco Container Trucks with Registration No. LSR 746 XD contains one thousand seven hundred cartons of Chelsea and Action Bitter Drinks, the value estimated at N2,700,000.00, including way bills, mobile phones, and cash.
The first Defendant was caught in the stationed Mazda, which was used to double-cross their eyeglass truck, while the second Defendant was handed over to the Police by the officers of NCSDC,” she said.
Earlier during the judgement, Justice Onyindamola Ogala told the court the the prosecution called three witnesses regarding the case.
“Prosecution in establishing its case called 3 witnesses (the victim, the owner of the truck and the IPO)
PW1 was able to identify both the first and second Defendants and the role they played in the robbery of the truck, which is the property of PW2. The Truck was later abandoned with other stolen belongings at Yaya Abatan Junction and later recovered. “
“I convict Defendants on the eye witness account and other circumstantial evidence highlighted in the case by the prosecution. It was inconsequential that the stolen vehicle and other belongings were abandoned and recovered later, as the crime was complete at the time of the hijack. The Defendants were found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging.”
The prosecutor Dr Babajide Martians Director of public prosecution (DPP) said
“The decision to prosecute the defendants is vindicated by the court Judgement; members of the public should see law enforcement officers as a succour in Public and not as threat to their public safety”.
