Three Men to Die by Hanging for Stealing N50,000 in Kwara

The Supreme Court upheld the death sentence given to three men for robbing a woman of N50,000 at gun point.
The convicts, identified as Kayode Babarinde, Akeem Haruna and Yusuf Nurudeen, had earlier been sentenced to death by hanging by the Kwara State High Court and the Ilorin Division of the Court of Appeal.

The three convicts were charged before the Kwara state High Court in Ilorin on a two-count charge of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and armed robbery contrary to section 97 of the Penal Code and Section 1(2) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act Cap. R 11 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The trio was alleged to have robbed Mrs. Ruth Alabi of the sum of N50,000, threatening her with a locally made pistol at Baba Oloya Street, Jebba, on August 18, 2007.



Each of the accused persons pleaded not guilty to each count of the charge.

The high court found each of the accused persons guilty as charged on each of the counts. They were sentenced on September 26, 2009, for two years of imprisonment on the count of conspiracy and death by hanging on the count of armed robbery.

Dissatisfied with their conviction and sentence, the trio appealed to the Court of Appeal in Ilorin, but their appeal was dismissed.
Still dissatisfied, they appealed to the Supreme Court.

In a lead judgment delivered by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, their appeal was found to be unmeritorous and was therefore dismissed.
“I find no reason to disturb the said finding and conclusions of the lower court. In effect the appeal lacks merit and is hereby dismissed,” the Justice said.