3 Sentenced To Death For Armed Robbery

The Federal High Court, Gudu, Abuja, on Tuesday sentenced three men to death by hanging for armed robbery.

The convicts are James Simon, 32; Joel Ibrahim, 26, and Ibrahim Musa, 32, all of Jabi Motor Park.

They were arraigned on December 1, 2005 for criminal conspiracy to commit armed robbery which contravened Section 5,

Sub-Section 1 of the Armed Robbery and Firearms Special Provisions Act, 1990.

Prosecution counsel Adamu Musa had told the court that the trio on September 8, 2005 invaded the All Saints Guest House at Wuse Zone 5.

He said they tied the security men and attacked the guests in the hotel with arms, dispossessing them of various sums of money, handsets and other belongings.

The three men had previously pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Delivering his judgment, Justice Abubakar Talba said he had critically examined the evidence before the court, noting that the mere denial of a confessional statement did not make it inadmissible before the court.

Talba said that the prosecution had been able to establish that there was a case of armed robbery and that the trio took part in it.

“I am convinced that the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt the offence of conspiracy against the accused persons; I therefore convict them as charged.”

At this point, defence counsel Wilson Ivara prayed the court to temper justice with mercy, adding that the convicts were sober and remorseful.

Ivara prayed the court to give the three men a chance to mend their ways by granting them the last opportunity.

However, Talba said that he would be failing in his duty to uphold the sections quoted earlier if ruled otherwise.

He, therefore, sentenced the accused persons to death by hanging.

The judge said he would recommend them to Mr. President through the Committee on Prerogative of Mercy because of the prayers of the defence counsel.