A 25-year- old hairdresser has been sentenced to death by hanging by an Ikeja High Court for stealing phones and laptops at gunpoint.
Izuma Ajaere was found guilty by Justice Kudirat Jose who stated that the prosecution had proven beyond every reasonable doubt that the accused committed the offence.
The accused was alleged to have accosted Uchenna Ukah in his residence at Ajao Estate at about 9.30pm on June 22, 2012.
Ajaere and his accomplice held their victim hostage in his flat at No 12, Vincent Eze street, Ajao Estate, Lagos, and robbed him of his laptops, modern, blackberry phones.
He was said to have locked the complainant in his apartment with the intent to also rob his neighbours.
The complainant, however, managed to escape and alerted the neighbours who raised alarm leading to his arrest.
Ajaere denied robbing the complainant while testifying during the trial. He said that he only went to Ajao Estate for hairdressing work and was arrested by policemen during a raid. He said he was wrongly charged with conspiracy and armed robbery by officials of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS.
Justice Kudirat Jose found Ajaere guilty and ordered that he be hung by the neck till he dies. The judge also said Ukah was clear and emphatic in his testimony about the events of the armed robbery and his evidence was pivotal in convicting Ajaere.
Justice Jose said: “The evidence of the prosecution witness proved that the defendant was one of the armed robbers, therefore, all the ingredients of the crime of armed robbery has been shown. The prosecution has proved the charge of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and armed robbery beyond a reasonable doubt. The defendant is hereby sentenced to death for conspiracy to commit armed robbery and sentenced to death for armed robbery. He is to be hanged by the neck till he is dead; may the Lord have mercy on his soul.”