Three men, Nuhu Jimoh, David Ndubisi and Oluwaseun Aderibigbe, have been sentenced to death by hanging by an Osun State High Court sitting in Ikirun.

In his judgment on Thursday, Justice Jide Falola, found the men guilty of launching coordinated attacks on the First Bank, Union Bank and Skye Bank, situated on the same street in Ikirun in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state, and pronounced the death sentence on them.

Thirty-two lives, including two police personnel and two bank workers, were lost during the exchange of gunfire between the robbers and the police during the robbery that occurred on February 12, 2016.

The convicts were first arraigned on June 29, 2017, on 10 counts bordering on conspiracy, armed robbery, murder and illegal possession of firearms, among others, contrary to Section 6(b), 1(1) & (2)(a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap R11 L.F.N, 2004; Section 319 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap. 34, Laws of Osun State, 2002; and Section 3 of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap R11 L.F.N, 2004.

Responding to distress calls from the scenes of the robbery, policemen from the Iragbiji Police Division, Ikirun police patrol team and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad had dispersed the robbers after many hours of exchange of gunfire.

Seven members of the robbery gang were said to have been killed by the police, while others escaped with gunshot injuries.

Seven pieces of assorted ammunition, including AK-47 rifles, and N7,486,300 taken from the banks were recovered by the police.

Biodun Badiora, who led the prosecution team from the state Ministry of Justice, called five witnesses and tendered 30 exhibits in support of the case.

The first accused person, Jimoh, did not call any witness, but testified in his own defence, but Ndubisi and Aderibigbe called three witnesses each.

Counsel for the accused persons, Mr Sunday Atofarati and Mr Ajibade Omoyajowo, urged the court to be lenient with their clients.

Delivering his judgment, Justice Falola found the three men guilty and sentenced them to death by hanging.

He directed that the guns recovered from the convicts should be forfeited to the Nigeria Police and the money recovered from them be forfeited to the Osun State Government.

Meanwhile, a 30-year-old man, Ayanniyi Olaosebikan, was on Thursday arraigned before an Osun State Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ile-Ife for pelting policemen with stones.

The defendant, who allegedly assaulted the policemen while they were performing their lawful duties, was remanded in the Ile-Ife Correctional Centre.

The police prosecutor, Sunday Osanyintuyi, said the defendant committed the offence on January 29, 2020, on Mokuro Road, Ile-Ife.

He said Olaosebikan assaulted the policemen, whose names were given as Adisa Mukaila and Fagbemi Kolawole, at their duty post by pelting them with stones.

He added that Olaosebikan also held on to the uniform of the policemen, adding that the offences contravened sections 365(3) and 508 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Vol. ll, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.

Olaosebikan, who did not have legal representation, pleaded not guilty to the first count of assault and pleaded guilty to the second count of pelting the policemen with stones.

Magistrate Habibat Basiru remanded the defendant in the Ile-Ife Correctional Centre.

She adjourned the matter till February 11, 2020, for presentation of facts.

The Punch