Justice Sherifat Sonaike of the Lagos State High Court, Tafawa Balewa Square yesterday convicted a 24-year-old motorcycle (Okada) rider, Idris Agunbiade of armed robbery and sentenced him to 21 years in jail.
The judge pronounced the punishment after she found the convict guilty of the offence of conspiracy to commit robbery and armed robbery.
The judge said that the sentence should run concurrently.
The convict, who had been in custody before his sentence, was arraigned on November 26, 2019, on two counts of conspiracy to commit robbery and armed robbery preferred against him by the Lagos State Government.
The state prosecuting attorney, Mr Moses Kuku, had told the court that the convict committed the offences on October 15, 2019, with others still at large.
He said the incident took place around 4 pm in the Oko-Afo area of Lagos State.
Kuku said Agunbiade, who was armed with a gun, attacked and robbed one Nmachi Aloysius of N220, 000.
According to him, the offences contravene Sections 299 and 297 (2) (a) of the criminal law of Lagos State 2015.
However, the convict who was 20 years old when he committed the offences denied the allegation and pleaded not guilty to the charge against him.
During the trial, the prosecution called one witness who testified against Agunbiade while the convict testified solely for his defence.
In her judgement, Sonaike held that the prosecution had proved the case and the ingredients of the offence against the convict.
In a mitigation plea, counsel for the convict told the court that his client was a first-time offender who had no criminal record before now.
However, the judge said “Agunbiade is hereby sentenced to 21 years imprisonment on the two counts without any option of fine.”
