Evangelist, Five Others Sentenced To Death For Bank Robbery
An Akure High Court in Ondo State has sentenced an Evangelist, Adewale Adelu, and five others to death by hanging over their roles and involvement in armed robberies in the state.
The convicts are:- evangelist Adelu, Ikechuckwu Maduagwu, Fayemi Olubusuyi, Ropo Adeleye, Dele Otopka, and Bayo Omotosho.
They were found guilty of attacking and robbing two commercial banks in Akure and Idanre 13 years ago.
The robbery incidents took place at the defunct Diamond Bank in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, and First Bank in Idanre, the headquarters of the Idanre Local Council.
Delivering the judgement, Justice Yemi Fasanmi who presided over the case announced the death sentences to the convicts.
The culprits were arraigned on July 14, 2022, on four counts of conspiracy, armed robbery, and illegal possession of firearms, and were subsequently remanded in the Olokuta Correctional Centre.
During the trial, the Prosecution Counsel, Salami, presented evidence that the convicts, armed with AK-47 rifles and dynamite, carried out the robberies attacks that shook the communities of Akure and Idanre.
Justice Fasanmi maintained that the defendants were unanimous in their confessions and the role each of them played in the operations, and consequently sentenced all of them to death by hanging in each of the counts.
