2 Docked For Robbery, Murder

Operatives of the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Yaba, Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria, have arrested two robbery suspects and arraigned them before a Yaba Magistrate Court on a 4-count charge of armed robbery and murder.

The police prosecutor alleged in charge Suit No. TA/18/2012 that the accused persons, Mohammed Umoru, 22, from Chad and Orji Mohammed Musa, 20, from Borno State, were arrested following a complaint lodged by the family of the late Celestine Duru, 55, that the accused and others now at large on 25 December 2011 at about 3.40 a.m. invaded their residence at 4, Uche Dimgba Close, Juli Estate, Oregun, Lagos, armed with guns and other dangerous weapons to rob them of properties valued at N688,500 and in the process stabbed Duru on the chest and he died on the spot.

They claimed that the accused stole a Blackberry phone valued at N92,000, Nokia X2 phone valued at N15,000, Nokia DSTV phone valued at N28,000, and Black rubber wrist watch valued at N15,000.

Other items stolen included two HP lap tops valued at N220,000, jewellery valued at N3000,000 and other items valued at N15,000, N3,500 cash and escaped.

The accused, according to the police, were arested, after several weeks of manhunt following a tip off from members of the public, inside a secondary school premises at Coker area of Orile, while others escaped.

Items recovered from them, the police claimed include one stolen Blackberry phone, 4 daggers, charms and a hammer.

During interrogation, they allegedly confessed to the crime, but begged the police for forgiveness.

They were charged to court for armed robbery and murder. The offences, Phillip Ugbodu, the prosecuting police officer said, are contrary to Section 5(b) and punishable under Section 1(2) (a) of the Robbery and Fire Arms (Special Provision Act) Cap. 308 Vol. XXII, laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990 as ammended and Section 231 and 221 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.

One of the charges reads: “That you Mohammed Umoru and Orji Mohammed and others at large on the same date, time and place in the offoresaid magisterial district did unlawfully kill Celestine Duru by stabbing him with a knife on the chest.”

The prosecutor opposed the bail of the accused persons due to lack of court jurisdiction to hear the matter.

Ugbodu prayed the court to remand the accused persons in prison custody pending legal advice from the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution to try the matter at the high court. The magistrate, O. S. Aka Bashorun, ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody pending the legal advice from the SDPP.

He adjourned the matter till 1 June 2012 for mention.

—Paul Iyoghojie