The Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on Thursday sentenced two bandits, Abubakar Sodiki and Abubakar Mohammed, to death by hanging after finding them guilty of armed robbery.
The convicts were arraigned on a six-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping and unlawful possession of firearms.
In addition to the death sentence, the court imposed life imprisonment for kidnapping and a 10-year jail term for illegal possession of firearms.
During the trial, the victim, Alhaji Saheed Arowasi of Boniya community in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, told the court that his abductors initially demanded a ransom of N100m, which was later negotiated down to N10m before he was eventually released.
Delivering judgment, Justice Ahmed Aliyu Gegele held that the prosecution successfully proved its case against the defendants beyond reasonable doubt.
The judge said the court relied on the statements made by the suspects and the victim at the police station, alongside other evidence presented during the proceedings.
Before the sentence was pronounced, the court granted the convicts the opportunity to speak in their defence.
While the first defendant pleaded with the court for leniency, the second insisted he was innocent of the allegations.
Justice Gegele, however, ruled that the law was explicit on the punishment for the offences and that the court had no discretion to deviate from the prescribed penalties.
Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Muslimah Suleiman, maintained that the evidence before the court sufficiently established the charges against the defendants, while the defence counsel, Shu’aib Ibrahim, appealed for mercy on behalf of his clients.
Consequently, the court sentenced the duo to death by hanging on the counts of armed robbery, life imprisonment for kidnapping and 10 years imprisonment for unlawful possession of firearms.
The trial, which commenced on April 29, 2025, concluded after the adoption of final written addresses on July 30, 2025, before the judgment delivered on Thursday.
Following the ruling, defence counsel applied for a certified true copy of the judgment to enable the team study the decision and determine the next legal step.