A 54-year-old security guard, Owolabi Bashiru, and three others have been sentenced to death by hanging by Justice Jide Falola of an Osun State High Court, Osogbo, for armed robbery and murder.

Other convicts are Hammed Rafiu (37), Rasidi Waidi (39) and Kayode Sunday (29).

The convicts were arraigned on the 23rd of October 2019 on six counts charges of conspiracy, armed robbery, murder, stealing and kidnapping.

After their plea of not guilty, prosecution counsel from the Ministry of Justice, Dele Akintayo, called four witnesses and tendered several exhibits before the court.

The convicts were said to have murdered one Victor Akinbile a cousin of former Deputy Governor, Adegboyega Alabi who traveled to Ikirun, on the 26th day of November 2018 to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Alabi and Adegboyega Oyetola as Governor then.

The prosecution told the court how the security informed the other three convicts of the arrival of the victim and they jumped through the fence to murder him.

“Having gained entrance into the house through a burglary window, they demanded the sum of N10 million from Victor who told them he didn’t have up to that amount. He transferred a sum of N3 million to Hammed Rafiu.

“After collecting the money, the convicts later kidnapped Victor and put him inside his Toyota Camry car boot and drove him to Dominion Camp, area old Iragbiji road along Ikirun/Osogbo road and set him and car ablaze,” the prosecutor told the court.

The convicts were said to have robbed one Alhaji Azeez Olusegun behind Oluwo’s House, Eweta, Ikirun on October 8, 2018, where they stole a Toyota Camry (muzzle) with registration number Lagos JJJ 371 AA and also collected N620,000.

Justice Falola agreed that the prosecution has proven his case beyond reasonable doubt and convicted them on six counts of charges preferred against them.

He subsequently sentenced them to death by hanging and ordered that all the cash recovered from the convicts and cash in their bank accounts should be handed over to the wife of the deceased, warning that none of them should benefit from state pardon. (Daily Sun)

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