A 24-year-old motorcycle (okada) rider, Idris Agunbiade, has been sentenced to 21 years’ imprisonment for armed robbery by a Lagos State High Court sitting in Tafawa Balewa Square.
Giving her judgment after finding Idris guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery and armed robbery, Justice Sherifat Sonaike sentenced him to 21 years in prison.
The judge also held that the sentence should run concurrently, starting from Thursday.
Her judgment partly reads, “Consequently, Justice Sonaike said, Agunbiade is hereby sentenced to 21 years imprisonment on the two counts without any option of fine. “The sentence is to run concurrently, and the punishment commences starting today.”
News About Nigeria learned that the convict, before his sentence, was arraigned on November 26, 2019, on two counts of conspiracy to commit robbery and armed robbery preferred against him by the Lagos State Government.
According to the state prosecuting counsel, Mr Moses Kuku, Idris, while armed with a gun, attacked and robbed one Nmachi Aloysius of N220,000 on October 15, 2019, with other people who are still on the run.
Kuku further told the court that the incident took place at about 4 pm in the Oko-Afo area of Lagos State.
According to the prosecutor, the offences committed contravened Sections 299 and 297 (2) (a) of the criminal law of Lagos State 2015.
During the trial, the convict, however, denied the allegations, pleading not guilty to the charges against him.
The prosecution called one witness who testified against Idris during the trial, but the convict was unable to produce any witness to back his claim that he was not guilty of the offences.
Delivering the judgment on the case on Thursday, Justice Sonaike said that the prosecution was able to prove its case against the convict.
In his plea, the convict’s lawyer, who prayed for leniency in sentencing his client, told the court that the convict was a first-time offender who had no criminal record before now.
Still, the judge insisted that he be sentenced to 21 years imprisonment on the two counts without any option of fine.
