Metro
Vulcaniser Steals N57,000, Bags Death Sentence
An Ikeja Special Offences Court presided over by Justice Mojisola Dada sentenced a 32-year-old vulcaniser, Chidozie Onyinchiz, to death by hanging on Tuesday for robbing a nurse of N57,000.
Justice Dada held that the prosecution had proved the charges of conspiracy, armed robbery, and membership of an unlawful society against Onyinchiz.
Dada said the convict’s attempt to wriggle out of the charges was futile.
This, she said was because he had earlier confirmed to the police at Igando, Lagos, that his victim, Veronica Uwayzor sighted him and they both recognised each other at the time of the offence.
Dada said, “The defendant had stated that the complainant pointed at him as one of the boys armed with a pair of scissors and forcefully snatched her bag containing N57,000 at Akesan Bus Stop.
“The complainant had stated that neither the defendant nor his accomplice, Ediri Endurance, (still at large) wore masks which made it possible for her to easily recognise Onyinchiz few hours after the robbery.
“The first statement of the defendant which he made at Igando Police Station confirmed that he and Ediri went to Akesan Bus Stop on the day of the robbery.
“Onyinchiz admitted to belonging to an unlawful society as he stated that, ’this is my first time of coming to Akesan to steal. I was initiated into Eiye Confraternity in 2009 but I have not killed before.’
“The same information of him being a vulcaniser was also contained in the statement he made at Igando police station and the one he made at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad office at Ikeja.
“In his confessional statement, Onyinchiz stated that he met Ediri Endurance in a public bus and Endurance took him to his father’s house after the bus developed fault.
“He also stated that they ended up sleeping in an uncompleted building because Endurance’s father did not open the door for them to spend the night in his house.
“The statement corroborated the submission of the victim that she was accosted at about 4.30 a.m. by two boys holding an iron rod and a pair of scissors on the day of the incident.
“She said the two boys were the ones who robbed her.
“The totality of the evidence before the court is compelling and I find the defendant guilty of the charges preferred against him.
“He is hereby sentenced to death by hanging and may God have mercy on his soul.”
The state prosecutor, Mrs Afolake Onayinka had earlier told the court the convict committed the offences with an accomplice still at large on Aug.12, 2018.
Onayinka submitted that the complainant ran into a white garment church after the defendant robbed her.
The shepherd of the church alerted landlords in the area which led to the arrest of Onyinchiz while Endurance escaped, she said.
Onayinka submitted that the offences contravened the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
(NAN)
By Eric Elezuo
A security expect and Chief Executive Officer, Safety Signatures Limited, Dr. Cynthia Gregg, has identified the need for individuals to have intimidate and dominion over their fellow man as one of the reasons for the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the Nigerian Civil space, thereby resulting in insecurity and unsafe habitation.
Gregg made the observation while participating as a panelist during the panel session of the 2023 National Security Conference of the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), on Thursday at the Civic Centre, Lagos.
The security practitioner noted that the issue of small arms and light weapons in the hands of non state actors, has become a major concern to all and sundry as killings abound, affecting both men in uniform and their civilian counterparts in the country today.
“We have noticed that in our society today, the person who carries the weapon is the most feared, and so because everyone wants to be feared, wants to dominate and intimidate the other person, they go to any length to acquire illegal weapons. That explains why when a robber encounters someone, the first thing they do is brandish a weapon or unleash some brutality to subdue their victim. It is the norm, unfortunately,” she said.
She further called on the public to encourage and help the law enforcement agencies to carry out their duties by saying something when they see something, and advocated community engagement to deal with challenges of proliferation of lethal weapons in the hands of non state actors.
Again, Gregg lauded the efforts of NAOSNP in using its platform to propagate safety and security through fruitful engagements with relevant institutions and reportage of credible security stories as well as advocacy through its enviable conferences.
The Lagos State Police Command had said the autopsy conducted on Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, had been concluded.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this to The Punch during a telephone conversation on Thursday.
He said, “Autopsy has been concluded. Awaiting results.”
Earlier on, while responding to an enquiry by the paper concerning arrests made by the police in connection with the late singer’s death, Hundeyin said, “I can’t answer questions on the arrests yet because I don’t have that update. However, the nurse is in our custody; I can confirm that.”
The body of the late singer, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has been exhumed for autopsy.
Lagos State Police spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed the development via his X handle on Thursday.
The Lagos Police image maker wrote: “Exhumation completed. Autopsy to commence. #JusticeForMohad #Justice4Mohbad.”
