Court Remands 6 Suspects Over Alleged Multiple Armed Robberies

Six suspects were yesterday remanded in prison custody by an Ile-Ife Magistrates’ Court in Osun state over alleged armed robberies.

The six accused persons Oyebamiji Oladele, 51; Bisiriyu Ojuade, 56; Aliyu Oyetunde, 35; Ojuade Adebayo, 61; Agunbiade Emmanuel, 40 and Adeyinka Adekunle, 48 allegedly committed the offence on May 10, 2018 around 09:00 am at Balogun Village via, Ile-Ife.

The Prosecutor, Insp Christian Olajide, told the court that the suspects conspired among themselves to commit felony to wit: Armed robbery, assault, malicious damage among others.

Olajide said in their first operation,  they armed themselves with guns, cutlasses and other fire arms to robbe one Olayemi Francis of his three mobile phones and cash sum of forty seven thousand Naira (N47,000).

In another operation, the suspects allegedly armed themselves with fire arms and robbed Olayemi Jonathan, Olaleke Olatunji, Baderu Akingbola, Fatima Amodu of their cocoa beans, plantains and kolanuts.

Olajide stated further that in another operation, the gang allegedly armed themselves with firearms and robbed one Asifa Ajibade, Biliaminu Babalola and Yekinni Odowu of their Dorma Engines, gallons of palm oil and Jincheng Motorcycles.

The prosecutor expressed further that the accused persons with dangerous weapons also robbed Muibat Muritala, Bolaji Adeoye, Eke Monday, Wakilat Ajibade, and Shuaibu Ojuade of their chemicals, spraying machines and kitchen utensils.

According to him, the accused persons conspired among themselves to steal generator set of Central Mosque, Balogun, village via, Ile-Ife.

He further explained that the suspects assaulted one Joseph Oluade and Shuaibu Ojuade by inflicting cut on their heads and all over their bodies with cutlasses which caused them injuries.

Olajide said that in another operation, they willfully and unlawfully maliciously damaged one Honda Civic car, valued N1.2 million of one Olayemi Francis, total valued properties stole, robbed and damage were over N3.3 million.

The plea of the suspects from count 1 to14  of conspiracy, armed robbery and possession of fire arms, were not taken because the court lack jurisdiction on the matters.

The suspects who agreed to be tried by the court in areas it has jurisdiction pleaded not guilty to count 14 to 18, of stealing, assault and malicious damage preferred against them.

The Defence Counsel, Mr Olalekan Ibrahim, pleaded for the bail of the suspects in most liberal term, adding that they will not jump bail, but produce reliable sureties.

Magistrate Muhibah Olatunji who declined plea of count 1-14 for lack of jurisdiction told the prosecutor to duplicate the case file to the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Ministry of Justice of Osun State for legal advice as she adjourned the case until June 26, for mention.