23-year-old boy sentenced to death by hanging for stealing phone valued at N87,000 in abuja

A high court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has sentenced a 23-years-old, Tope Abiodun, to death by 
hanging for stealing an android LG phone sold at N87,000.

The court also sentenced a teenager, Godfrey Emmanuel,
 to 14 years imprisonment for assisting Abiodun to commit the crime.

According to the prosecution counsel, Simon Lough, the convicts had positioned themselves half naked at Impresist junction in Karmo, Abuja to commit the act.

The defendants approached the victim, Jacob Habila, and asked him to allow them make a distress call to their brother, claiming that they were victims of a robbery attack.

Habila who was touched by their story, brought out his 
phone to call the number that was given to him when they attacked him.


Lough told the court that Emmanuel brought out a knife
 and stabbed him on the victim on his head, while Abiodun escaped with the phone. With blood dripping from his face,
 the victim screamed for help, which led to the arrest of Emmanuel.

Abiodun was also arrested a few days later after the matter was reported to the police.

The presiding judge, Justice Chizoba Orji, found the 1st and 2nd accused persons guilty as charged.












She said: “This court is convinced that there was robbery. 
PW4 gave cogent evidence of the incident and how the 2nd defendant snatched his phone and ran away and the defendants confessed that they used knife to rob.”

“PW4 arrested the 2nd defendant some few days later 
and took him to the police, while the 3rd defendant was arrested with the stolen phone.”

“All these are cogent and direct evidence of conspiracy. I
 find that the offence of criminal conspiracy to commit
 armed robbery have been proved beyond all reasonable doubts against the 1st and 2nd defendants.”

“The prosecution has tendered exhibits, including the 
picture of the victim showing head injury, his shirt, which
 was soaked with blood. He needs not tender the knife in evidence where there is overwhelming evidence of the commission of the crime by the defendants.”




Do you think the punishment fits the crime?