An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti, on Tuesday, sentenced a 24-year-old man, Sola Jegede, to death by hanging for dispossessing some men of their phones and money.

He was found guilty of using weapons, including a gun, knife, digger and club to rob Ibukun Ilesanmi, Seun Ilesanmi and Tope Ilesanmi of their phones and undisclosed sums of money.

Justice Oluwatoyin Abodunde said, “The defendant is found guilty as charged on counts one, two and three for the offence of armed robbery.

“He is accordingly convicted and sentenced to death by hanging for the offence of armed robbery and may the Lord have mercy on his soul.”

Abodunde, however, discharged and acquitted Jegede on counts four and five, saying, “No reasonable court can convict him of the offence of rape given the totality of the evidence of the prosecution with respect to the offence of rape.

“He is found not guilty and discharged and acquitted on the offence of rape.”

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The convict was charged with armed robbery and rape allegedly committed on October 30, 2015, on Oda Ponna Street, Omuo Ekiti.

The prosecutor, Omobola Oyewole, said the offences contravened Section 1(2)(a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap. R11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and Section 358 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.

To prove his case, the prosecutor called seven witnesses and tendered as exhibits Blackberry and Nokia phones, a digger and a knife, among others, while the convict’s counsel, Adedayo Adewumi, called no witness.