:
AN Effurun high court, has sentenced a 24 year old secondary school student, Moses Akatugba,
to death by hanging for robbing GSM handsets and recharge cards, just as a commercial motorcyclist, popularly called ‘okada’ rider was also jailed 15 years imprisonment for robbing a female passenger of her GSM handset.

Moses was convicted on a two-count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery contrary to section 6 (b) and punishable under section 1 (2) (a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act Cap R11 Volume 14 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Prosecution told the court that the convict with others now at large “robbed one Mrs. Akpor Mazino of the sum of N113,930 cash, 3 GSM handsets, 54 various denomination of MTN recharge vouchers, 28 Econnet vouchers and 25 GLO vouchers valued over N100,000 at Number 30 NNPC Housing complex road,
Ekpan”.

The victim in her evidence gave a vivid account of how she was robbed of the items at her shop at gunpoint.
Meantime, an Asaba high court also yesterday sentenced a 30-year-old commercial motorcyclist, Paul Nwanegbo to 15 years imprisonment with hard labour for robbing a female passenger of her GSM telephone handset.

The incident, according to prosecution took place along Direct Labour Agency, (DLA) road Asaba on the 5th of October 2011 before the ban on operation of okada in Asaba metropolis and other designated cities.
The female passenger, Amaka Okafor told the court that “on realizing the gun was a toy, I resisted him but he overpowered me after biting me with his teeth and snatched my phone from me..

This is Too harsh

The application of laws in Nigeria really surprises me. It is not as if I am in support of theft, but for goodness sake, why would death penalty be used in this instance.

This is selective justice at its peak. If it was a politician, they would have used plea bargain, but since it is a common man, he just had to be sentenced.

I weep for our dear Nigeria.

BTW, I don't still understand how someone would be sentenced to death for theft, did he kill anyone in the process of stealing, or is my eye deceiving me at the moment?

Oh, the guy was even sentenced in absentia.

I hope the owners of those GSMs are happy with the court verdicts!

s3nn2x: The application of laws in Nigeria really surprises me. It is not as if I am in support of theft, but for goodness sake, why would death penalty be used in this instance.

This is selective justice at its peak. If it was a politician, they would have used plea bargain, but since it is a common man, he just had to be sentenced.

I weep for our dear Nigeria.

BTW, I don't still understand how someone would be sentenced to death for theft, did he kill anyone in the process of stealing, or is my eye deceiving me at the moment?

Oh, the guy was even sentenced in absentia.

Bros I understand how u can be disappointed at our criminal justice system. But if I may explain a bit how sentencing works. You see, it is the legislature that prescribes the sentence for offences, and in cases where the law prescribes a mandatory sentence which a court of law must hand down on conviction, then the court must hand down such sentence.

Armed robbery in Nigeria is a capital crime, meaning that anybody that uses firearms to commit the crime of robbery if convicted must be sentenced to death. The nature or value of what he stole is of no moment in this instance. He may have robbed a person of a Range Rover or Techno phone valued at 5k, the consequence is the same.

So, going by the post, the convict and his gang robbed the poor lady at gunpoint. That is armed robbery my brother.

About being convicted in absentia, I very much doubt it. Trial in absentia is unknown to our criminal jurisprudence. Nobody can be tried in absentia in Nigeria. What I read from the post is that the other gang members are at large.

Maybe the next time anyone wants to commit a crime they should go look at the consequences first

I weep for 9ja



#TeamGOM

Can he appeal ?