Jethro Ibileke/Warri
Justice A. A. Onojovwo of the Delta State High Court, Warri, last weekend sentenced two members of a notorious gang of armed robbers and kidnappers, Ejemuta Ogofure and Collins Okoro, to death by hanging or firing squad, for kidnapping and multiple armed robberies.
They were found guilty of the charge of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed robbery, kidnapping, attempted kidnap and demanding property with menace.
The Judge however discharged a 3rd accused person, 24-years-old Jonny Oghenemairo, of all charges for want of sufficient evidence, but seriously warned him to desist from committing crime as he might not be lucky when arrested again.
Justice Onojovwo condemned the criminal acts of the two convicts for their complexity in multiple armed robbery operations.
They were sentenced for kidnapping a lecturer with Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro, Ogboghro Vincent, on the 7 May, 2012 at Irri, within the Oleh Judicial Division and also robbed him of his Honda Accord car with registration No. AL 51 LEH. They also demanded a ransom of 5million naira before he could be released.
The prosecution, however, told the court that a ransom of N700, 000 was eventually paid to the accused persons before they released their victim after he had spent 10 days in their captivity.
The convicts, with others now at large, were also accused of kidnapping one Mrs. Precious Ibenegbu at Oleh, but when their vehicle got stuck in a muddy road, their victim raise an alarm, which led to her rescue.
They were also accused of robbing one Blessing Ese, of his Honda Accord car with registration no BP 134 GWA and other valuables on the 21 June, 2012, while armed with guns.
In his verdict, the trial Judge ruled that the prosecuting counsel, Mrs. Jereoma Sam-Oligida, proved beyond reasonable doubt the essential ingredients of the crime of conspiracy to kidnap one Mr. Ogboghro Vincent, and the attempted kidnap one Mrs Precious Ibenegbu.
He also held that prosecution was able to establish the case of the substantial offence of kidnapping and multiple armed robberies against two out of the three accused persons arraigned before the court on a 10 count charge.
The trial Judge sentenced them to death by hanging for the offences of armed robberies, five years imprisonment each for conspiracy to commit kidnapping and seven years imprisonment each for kidnapping.
They were charged under the old law that prescribed a maximum punishment of 10 years imprisonment for offenders.