Babalola Olatomide sentenced to life imprisonment for armed robbery in Ekiti

One Babalola Olatomide has been sentenced to life imprisonment for offences bordering on armed robbery and attempted murder.

The 27-year-old was sentenced by an Ekiti State High Court, sitting in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday.

He was arraigned before Justice Monisola Abodunde who sentenced him after he was found guilty of the crime.

The charge read that Babalola Olatomide, on the 23rd of January, 2019 at Falegan Estate, Ado Ekiti in Ado Ekiti Judicial Division, robbed one Ajayi Habeeb Bolakale of his phone and laptop.

At the time of the robbery, he was armed with an offensive weapon, a double-barrel pistol, and also shot the victim with the double-barrel pistol.

According to the prosecutor, the offences contravene Section 1 (2)(a) of the Robbery and Firearms (special provisions) Act, Cap R11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and Section 320 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 16, Laws of Ekiti State of Nigeria, 2012.

In his testimony before the court, the victim said, I came to school in Ado Ekiti from Ogun State. I was with my friend, eating in our room around 9:00 pm, suddenly two boys entered our room, they asked us, ‘’ who among you is bearing Tosin?’’ we said none of us is bearing the name, thereafter, they demanded our phones and laptops, but we refused to give them, one of them now at large picked my phone and laptop, I tried to hold him, in the process, one of them who held a gun shot me in the leg with double barrel pistol, two times, the one who picked my phone and laptop escaped with it but the one who shot me was overpowered and arrested with the gun.

I was rushed to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti for medical attention and treatment, he concluded.

To prove his case, the Prosecutor, Julius Ajibare called five witnesses and tendered one locally made double barrel pistol, one axe, and statements of the defendant among others as exhibits.