Man Bags Death Sentence for Robbing Two Cops of Motorbikes

By Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

For allegedly robbing two police sergeants of motorbikes at gun point, a 21-year-old man, Abdulateef Babatunde, is to die by hanging in Ekiti State.

Handing down the verdict in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, Justice Dele Omotoso of an Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti found Babatunde guilty of the two-count charge of armed robbery preferred against him.

According to the charge sheet preferred against the convict, Babatunde on or about June 16, 2016 along NTA Road, Ado-Ekiti robbed one Sergeant Babatimilehin Kayode of his Bajaj motorcycle with registration number GED 550 QA.

Babatunde also robbed one Sergeant Sheidu Ganiyu of his Bajaj motorcycle with registration number ADK 193 QH.

The convict, while committing the robbery, was armed with offensive

weapons including a gun.

Babatunde stopped Babatimilehin and asked for his okada ticket but the

policeman told the convict that he was not a commercial motorcycle operator.

The policeman said the convict brought out a locally made pistol, pointed it at him and dispossessed him of the bike but was later arrested after being given a hot chase by some okada riders and he

(Babatunde) was taken to Okesa Police Station.

Ganiyu, in his evidence, told the court that he gave the convict a ride on his motorcycle from Egbewa area heading to Abuja Quarters but the convict asked that he be dropped in a lonely place.

The victim told the court that three men emerged from the bush in the area and pointed guns at him and all of them made away with his motorcycle.

Ganiyu explained that he later learnt that the convict had been arrested and the motorcycle recovered from him.

The prosecution called six witnesses and tendered exhibits including the stolen motorcycles, statement of the convict and one locally made pistol while defence did not call any witness.