Okada rider jailed 21 years for armed robbery

Okada rider jailed 21 years for armed 

A Lagos State High Court sitting in Tafawa Balewa Square on Thursday sentenced a 24-year-old motorcycle (Okada) rider, Idris Agunbiade, to 21 years imprisonment for armed robbery.

Justice Sherifat Sonaike sentenced Agunbiade after she found him guilty of the offence of conspiracy to commit robbery and armed robbery.

The judge said that the sentence should run concurrently, starting from Thursday.

The convict, who had been in custody 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.

The state prosecuting counsel, Mr Moses Kuku, had told the court that the convict committed the offences on October 15, 2019, with others still at large.

He said the incident took place at about 4 pm, at Oko-Afo area of Lagos State.

Kuku said Agunbiade, while armed with a gun, attacked and robbed one Nmachi Aloysius of N220,000.

According to the prosecutor, the offences committed contravened Sections 299 and 297 (2) (a) of the criminal law of Lagos State 2015.

However, the convict who was 20 years old when he committed the offences denied the allegation and pleaded not guilty to the charge against him.

During the trial, the prosecution called one witness who testified against Agunbiade, and the convict testified solely for his defence.

Delivering the judgment on Thursday, Justice Sonaike held that the prosecution was able to prove its case and the ingredients of the offence against the convict.

The convict’s lawyer in his plea for leniency in sentencing his client told the court that the convict was a first-time offender who had no criminal record before now.

The prosecutor also confirmed that they didn’t have any previous criminal record against the convict.

“Consequently, Justice Sonaike, said, Agunbioade 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.”