The Ekiti High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti, on Monday, sentenced two brothers and their female friend to death by hanging for robbing an 87-year-old woman of N147,000 and a watch.

The convicts, Shadrack Apos, 30; Lucky Akpos, 33; and Adunola Precious, 24, were arraigned before Justice Lekan Ogunmoye on August 19, 2024, on two counts of conspiracy and armed robbery.

The prosecution counsel, Kunle-Shina Adeyemo, told the court that the convicts committed the offences on June 12, 2024, in Ifaki Ekiti, while armed with a gun and a wooden plank to rob Victoria Folorunso of N147,000 and a wristwatch.

According to him, the offences were contrary to Sections 421 and 321 (2) (b) of the Criminal Laws of Ekiti State, 2021.

In her testimony during the trial, Ms Folorunso said she was asleep when the men entered her room, with one pointing a gun at her forehead and the other holding a plank, and took N100,000 from underneath her bed and the other from her underwear.

“They also took my wristwatch, presented to me by my children. They also took my phone, but they returned it to me.

“When they threatened to shoot me, I told them I have N3 million in my account. They instructed me to withdraw the money the following day and give it to Precious Adunola, my househelp, to deliver it to them,” Ms Folorunsho said.

According to Ms Folorunsho, the unmasked men moved freely with her househelp and warned her against telling anyone about her experience and threatened to kidnap and kill her if she did.

“They were calling and threatening me thereafter for taking too long to send the money. I later informed my children about it, and they told the police,” she concluded.

To prove his case, the prosecutor, Kunle-Shina Adeyemo, called two witnesses and tendered the defendant’s statements, search warrant, and wooden gun, among others, as exhibits.

While the defendants, represented by their lawyers, Oluwatoyin Marcus and Mitchel Aribisala, called one witness each.

Delivering his judgment, Justice Ogunmoye said, “My earlier findings that the third defendant, Adunola Precious, must have opened the door to enable the robbers to have seamless entry into the house she was sharing with the victim aptly demonstrated her own pivotal role in the plan to rob the victim.

“From the believable evidence before the court, therefore, it is clear that the prosecution had been able to establish that the defendants planned and agreed to rob the victim on June 12, 2024.

“The charge of conspiracy and armed robbery has therefore been proved beyond a reasonable doubt against the defendants, and therefore they are found guilty and convicted as charged by this court.

“The first, second, and third defendants are to be hanged by the neck until they are dead. May God have mercy on their souls,” the judge pronounced.

(NAN)