A Lagos High Court in Igbosere has sentenced one Akeem Lawal to death by hanging for shooting and robbing his stepmother, Taibat Lawal, and stepsister, Sherifat Olanipekun.
In her ruling, Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye, found Akeem guilty on two counts of conspiracy to rob and armed robbery.
The prosecution had claimed that Akeem and two of his gang members, who were masked, had on November 30, 2013, around 2 am, on 12 Lawal Street, Akowonjo in the Egbeda area of Lagos State, destroyed the front door to his stepsister’s room, with an axe and robbed and shot her and her 90-year-old mother, leaving them to die.
The trial of the suspects began on May 3, 2016.
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Justice Ipaye found him guilty on Monday and said, “I find you (Lawal) guilty as charged on count one of conspiracy to rob and on count two of armed robbery as charged in the amended charge.
“May the Lord God have mercy on your soul.”
Shortly before the pronouncement of judgement, the counsel to the convict, E. B. Obogwu, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, noting that he had a son, who depended on him.