By Nofisat Marindoti
An Osun State High Court sitting in Ile-Ife, presided over by Justice Abdulrasaq Abdulkareem, has sentenced a 38-year-old man, Jeremiah Idowu to death over armed robbery.
Idowu, who said that he was a herbalist hired one Rasheed Kehinde, a motorcyclist, on May 23rd, 2005 at Toro Farm Area, Modakeke-Ife, while operating his Okada motorcycle business, to convey him to cut his herbal medicine.
As they were going, the duo branched to Idowu’s sister’s house, where they collected cutlass to use for cutting the the root of the trees and other herbs.
When they got to the bush, the convict gave the victim his diary to hold for him, and assured him that he would not run away.
According to the 1st Principal Witness, “When they got to the bush, the accused asked him to wait for him, while he went into the bush to fetched the said herbs and that because it was already getting late, the accused person asked him to helped him pickthe herbs which he has cut down in a polythene bag.
“When the motorcyclist bent down to pick the herbs, the accused person then hit him with the cutlass he was holding and asked him to bring all the money he had with him which he handed over to the accused person in the sum of N7, 800.
The Witness said when the accused person demanded for the key of the motorcycle, he took to his heels and the accused person pursued him, but was forced to stop when he heard the noise of a wood cutting machine.
The witness added that that after the accused person had gone, he went back to his motorcycle and returned home where he narrated the incident to his parents who then took him to Division “A” Police Station, Moore, Ile-Ife where the case was reported.
The accused however, completely denied the one-count charge of armed robbery, but he made the confessional statement at the police station.
Prosecutor Counsel from the State, Ministry of Justice, Jacob Ayanyemi (Esq), who tendered the confessional statement of the accused and two witnesses said the case has been proved beyond reasonable doubt that Idowu robbed Kehinde on that fateful day.
Justice Abdulkareem also pointed out that the prosecution Counsel has proved its case as all evidence including confessional statement from the accused, point to the fact that he committed armed robbery.
He said “I therefore, found the accused person guilty of armed robbery charged preferred against him and hereby convicted accordingly.
The Judge hereby sentenced the convict to death.