6th June, 2018
An Osun State High Court, Ile-Ife Division, on Wednesday, sentenced a 38-year-old herbalist, Jeremiah Idowu, to death for armed robbery.
The presiding judge, Justice AbdulRasaq AbdulKaeem, found him guilty on a one-count charge of armed robbery filed against him by the state government.
The convict, Idowu pleaded not guilty to the count when he was first arraigned sometime in May, 2009.
The presiding judge said that evidences before the court had proved that the convict committed the charge leveled against him.
According to AbdulKareem, the prosecution has proved its case as all evidences, including confessional statement from the accused, pointed to the fact that he (Idowu) committed armed robbery offence as charged.
He said “I therefore, hold the accused person guilty of armed robbery as charged and he is convicted accordingly.
“I hereby sentence the convict to death,” he ruled
Stating the fact of the case, the Principal State Counsel, Mr J.A. Ayanyemi, told the court that the convict had on May 23, 2005, hired one Rasheed Kehinde, a commercial motorcycle operator, at Toro Farm Area, Modakeke-Ife, to convey him to his farm to cut some herbal leaves.
“As they were going, they branched to the accused sister’s house, where he collected a cutlass, which he said was to be used for cutting the herbal leaves and other roots.
“When they got to the bush, he gave the victim his diary to hold for him, with the assurance that he won’t stay long.
“But because it was getting late, the accused asked him to help him pick the herbs which he had packed in a bag and when the Okada operator tried to help him, he hit him with the cutlass in his hand.
“At that point, Idowu asked the okada operator to bring all the money on him, and he handed over the sum of N7, 800.
“He said when Idowu demanded for the key of the motorcycle, he took to this heels, he pursued him, but was forced to stop when he heard some people working in the bush.
“With the assistance of those in the bush, he went back to pick his Okada motorcycle and returned home,” the prosecutor said.
He said that the victim when he returned home narrated his ordeal to his parents, who took him to Division “A” Police Station, Moore, Ile-Ife where the case was reported.
The prosecutor said that the convict denied the one-count charge of armed robbery, but he made the confessional statement at the police station.
He tendered the confessional statement of the convict and presented two witnesses that testified on how the accused robbed his victim.
Counsel to the defendant, Toyin Lawal-Olatunji, in his plea of mercy, prayed the court to be lenient, adding that although the prosecution had been able to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt, the court should temper justice with mercy.
However, Justice AbdulRasaq AbdulKaeem, while delivering his judgement said that the mercy decision was beyond the court as the Administration of Criminal Justice Act had provided measures of punishment for such to serve as a deterrent to others.
He, therefore, sentenced him to death.