A 51-year-old man, Owoeye Ojo, has been handed a death sentence by a state High Court for participating in a brutal armed robbery and attempted murder operation in Ekiti State.
Ojo was initially arraigned on August 25, 2023, facing a four-count charge linked to two violent incidents.
The first occurred on May 21, 2023, at Oluwole Orungbe Street in Ado-Ekiti, where he and others, armed with dangerous weapons, allegedly attacked two women—Funmilayo Adeyemi and Omolola Adesola—robbing them and attempting to take their lives.
Court records revealed that Adeyemi was robbed of her handbag, which contained money and a mobile phone, with a total worth of N85,000.
Just over a week earlier, on May 12, 2023, the gang struck again at Ilokun, also in Ado-Ekiti, making off with Adesola’s laptop, phones, flash drives, and N10,000 in cash.
The offences violated several provisions of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021, particularly sections 314, 312(2)(b), 241, and 312(a).
Narrating her ordeal, Adesola told the court that around 8 p.m. on the day of the attack, she was about to lock up her house when Ojo and his accomplices forced their way in.
Armed with guns and machetes, they threatened her family, stole valuables worth N710,000, and fled the scene. She later identified Ojo at a police facility after his arrest.
To support the case, the state prosecutor, Florence Ajumobi, brought forward four witnesses and submitted key exhibits including a firearm, ammunition, the suspect’s written confession, and pictures of the victims.
Meanwhile, Ojo’s lawyer did not call any witnesses in his defense.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye stated that the evidence was compelling and that the prosecution had successfully proven the allegations.
He then sentenced Ojo to death by hanging, adding a solemn prayer for divine mercy.