Arinola Aderibigbe loses gold worth N3.5M to bandits

By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko

A woman identified as Arinola Aderibigbe has lost gold and other items worth N3.5 million to some bandits in Ibadan Oyo state.

But some of the armed men, who attacked her at Onipepeye, in the Oyo capital on 11 December, 2021, are now facing the music of justice.

Adewale Alaba, 40, Mudashiru Nurudeen, 43, and Solomon Adegoke, 40, were on Friday, remanded at a Correctional Centre, for the robbery.

Alaba, Nurudeen and Adegoke, whose addresses were not provided, were arraigned in a magistrates’ Court in Iyaganku, Ibadan, for conspiracy and armed robbery.

Magistrate Abimbola Amole-Ajimoti, declined to take the defendants plea, saying she would wait for the legal advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Amole-Ajimoti adjourned the case until May 12, for further mention.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Sgt. Philip Amusan, had told the court that the defendants, and others at large, allegedly committed the offences on Dec. 11, 2021, at about 9:30 p.m., at Onipepeye, Ibadan.

Amusan said the trio, armed with guns and other dangerous weapons, attacked Aderibigbe and dispossessed her of three sets of gold jewelry worth N3.5 million.

One of the sets was worth N1. 5 million. Two pairs of gold rings worth N800,000 were among the items stolen.

A Samsung IPDA X10 mobile phone worth N1.2 million was also stolen.

Amusan said the offences contravened sections 6 (B) and 1 (2) of the Robbery and Firearms Laws of Nigeria, 2004.