A High Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, has sentenced four members of an armed robbery gang to death by firing squad.
The name of the convicts, who were said to specialise in hijacking petroleum tanker at gun point, were given as: Abdurahman Yinusa, Maliki Sanni, Ajayi Saliu and Mohammed Jimoh.
Before their arrest in December, 2009, the quartet and one other at large had reportedly robbed many people several times on Isua/Idoani expressway in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State.
According to the prosecution counsel, Mr. John Olowokere, the convicts hijacked a DAF truck with registration number number XN 810 ABC laden with 33,000 litres of petrol on the same road but were later apprehended by the men of the state police command.
According him, three of the accused drove the truck away to dispense the content while the remaining two led the driver and the conductor to the bush where they were tied until the following day when they had sold the petrol and disposed the truck.
The convicts stood trial on a four-count charge of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed robbery, murder and illegal possession of fire arms contrary to contrary to section 6(b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions)Act R11, Laws of Federation 2004.
In his ruling, the presiding judge, Justice D.I. Kolawole of the Special Criminal High Court within Olokuta Medium Security Prison, said the prosecution counsel was able to substantiate the case against the accused.
He said the accused persons were guilty of some of the charges and then ordered that they should die by firing squad.
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