Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of the Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja has sentenced two men, Folorunsho Oladeji and Dimeji Thomas, to 14 years’ imprisonment each for attempted armed robbery.
The convicts were charged by the Lagos State Government for attempting to rob residents of Jakande Estate in the Lekki area of Lagos while armed with dangerous weapons, including a gun and a knife.
According to the prosecution, Oladeji and Thomas, in the early hours of the day, attempted to rob a man identified as Yusuf of his Toyota Corolla, mobile phone, and cash.
Shortly after, around 2:45 a.m., they also tried to rob another victim, Hemas Udom, within the same estate.
The robbery attempts were foiled when the police arrived at the scene. Although the suspects managed to flee, they abandoned the stolen car but escaped with the key.
Following their arrest and arraignment, the defendants initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, prompting the prosecution, led by the state government, to open trial.
Read Also: Robbery Gangs Found Guilty in Offa Robbery Trial
During the proceedings, the victims testified that the defendants were armed and had forcefully taken the car and attempted to rob them before police intervention.
Midway into the trial, the defendants approached the prosecution for a plea bargain.
As a result, the charges were amended to two counts of attempted robbery, to which both men pleaded guilty upon re-arraignment.
Justice Abike-Fadipe, before sentencing, confirmed that the change of plea was made voluntarily and without any threat, promise, or inducement.
Upon conviction, the judge sentenced both Oladeji and Thomas to 14 years in prison each for the offence.
The judge further ordered that their sentence should take effect from May 2019, the date they were first remanded in a correctional facility.
