Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has condemned a 32-year-old vulcaniser, Chidozie Onyinchiz, to death by hanging for robbing a nurse of N57,000
Justice Dada handed down the verdict after holding that the prosecution had proven the three-count charge of conspiracy, armed robbery and membership of an unlawful society against Onyinchiz beyond all reasonable doubt.
The prosecution through a state counsel, Mrs. Afolake Onayinka had earlier informed the judge that the convict committed the offences with an accomplice, who is still at large, on August 12, 2018.
The lawyer had claimed that the complainant ran into a white garment church after the defendant robbed her, where the shepherd of the church alerted landlords in the area which later led to the arrest of Onyinchiz while Endurance escaped.
The prosecutor had maintained that the offences contravened various sections of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
In her judgment, Justice Dada held that attempts made by the convict to wriggle out of the charges were futile to his cause.
The judge noted that the convict had earlier confessed to the police in his extrajudicial statement that his victim, Mrs. Veronica Uwayzor sighted him and they both recognised each other at the time of the offence.
She held, “the defendant had stated that the complainant pointed at him as one of the boys armed with a pair of scissors who forcefully snatched her bag containing N57,000 at Akesan Bus Stop.
“The complainant had stated that neither the defendant nor his accomplice, Ediri Endurance, (still at large) wore masks which made it possible for her to easily recognise Onyinchiz a few hours after the robbery.
“The totality of the evidence before the court is compelling and I find the defendant guilty of the charges preferred against him.
“He is hereby sentenced to death by hanging and may God have mercy on his soul,’’ Justice Dada held.