Driver Bags Death Sentence For Armed Robbery In Lagos
Justice Raliat Adebiyi of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja on Wednesday convicted and sentenced Monsuru Ayoola to death for robbing his former boss, Lanre Alabi in 2015 with a toy gun and machete for allegedly owing him his salary.
Justice Adebiyi handed Ayoola a driver and disgruntled former employee, the death sentence after finding him guilty of a one-count charge of armed robbery.
The judge, however cleared the condemned convict not guilty of a two-count charge of armed robbery and inflicting injury.
In her judgment, Justice Adebiyi held, “the punishment for the offence is a strict and mandatory one and for this reason, the allocutus of the defence counsel cannot apply.
“The defendant is hereby sentenced to death pursuant to section 295 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2011.
“May God have mercy on your soul.”
The convict, who is in his thirties and resided at 153, Adeniyi Adeniji St., Lagos Island, Lagos, was arraigned before the court on March 14, 2016 by the Lagos State government.
He had pleaded not guilty to a three-count charge of armed robbery and inflicting injury.
The prosecution team led by Mrs O. R Ahmed-Muili had told the court that the convict committed the offence at midnight on Oct. 11, 2014 at No. 16, Yeye Olofin St., Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
She claimed that, “While wearing a plastic mask to conceal his identity, and armed with a machete and toy gun, he robbed Alabi, his former employer of his black wallet containing N50,000 and his Nokia and HTC mobile phones.
“He also robbed Mr Oluwaseun Badia of N18,000 and a Nokia mobile phone and stabbed Badia while fleeing the crime scene.
“The offences contravene Sections 243 and 295 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2011,” she said.
According to the prosecution, Ayoola was apprehended by security guards and was unmasked during the ensuing struggle and he issued death threats to the guards who immediately recognized him.
Three prosecution witnesses including Alabi, the convict’s former employer testified during the trial.
Alabi admitted that Monsuru was employed as his driver for six years, he denied owing Monsuru his salary.
Alabi had told the court that the convict had lived with him during the course of his employment and that he had fired Ayoola due to his misconduct.
On June 22, 2017 the defence opened its case with Ayoola as the first defence witness.
According to the driver, he was owed salary of four years and four months and that on the day of the alleged crime, he went to confront Alabi at his home over his unpaid salary.
He told the court that he attacked his former boss with a cutlass and that he fainted during the fracas and when he was revived, he was at the police station.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, Justice Adebiyi had in her judgment, acquitted Ayoola of two-counts of armed robbery and inflicting injury.
“Oluwasegun Badia, the alleged second victim was not produced in court and no evidence about the alleged armed robbery was given in court.
“On count three which is the charge of inflicting injury, the court finds that the prosecution was unable to produce in court, proof of the injury as well as the alleged victim (Badia), “Justice Adebiyi said.
Earlier, before the death sentence was pronounced, Mrs O. Oreagba-Ademola, Ayoola’s defence counsel in her allocutus, had pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.
“We urge Your Lordship to temper justice with mercy, he is a first time offender and has no prior criminal record,” the defence counsel had said.