Four members of an armed robbery gang have been sentenced to death by firing squad by a High Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The convicts Abdurahman Yinusa, Maliki Sanni, Ajayi Saliu and Mohammed Jimoh were said to hijack petroleum tankers at gunpoint.
The four convicts and one other person at large were had terrorised many people on the Isua/Idoani expressway in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State, before they were arrested in December 2009.
According to the prosecution counsel, John Olowokere, the convicts hijacked a DAF truck with registration number number, XN 810 ABC , loaded with 33,000 litres of petrol on the same road but were later apprehended by the men of the state police command.
According to Olowokere, three of the accused drove the truck away to offload the content while the other two led the driver and the conductor into the bush where they were tied until the following day.
The convicts stood trial on four charges 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.
The presiding judge, Justice D.I. Kolawole of the Special Criminal High Court within Olokuta Medium Security Prison, while giving his ruling held that the prosecution counsel was able to prove the case against the accused beyond reasonable doubt.
He said the accused persons were guilty of some of the charges and then ordered that they should die by firing squad.
Dolapo is a writer and journalist who works with YNaija. He has interests in Christianity, politics and sports.
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