Two Students To Die By Firing Squad For Stealing Cash And Items Worth N29,550

Two students, Vershima Kaachi and Akaazua Akpen,
have been sentenced to death by firing squad for
armed robbery. The ruling was delivered by
Justice Theresa Igoche of the Makurdi High Court
on Tuesday.
I
The convicts were arrested on the eve of
Christmas in 2007 for criminal conspiracy and
armed robbery, contrary to Sections 5(b) and
1(2) of the Robbery and Firearms Act, Laws of the
Federation of Nigeria, 1990.
In his testimony, the victim of the offence,
Jonathan Usenge, told the court that five armed
men came to his house, attacked and robbed
him of some valuable items on that day.
He stated that the robbers collected his Nokia
1600 phone valued N12,700.00, two torch lights
valued N350.00 and a sum of N16,500.
He said the convicts were armed with guns and a
hacksaw, and that the clothes they wore on the
day of the robbery, his stolen phone and the
hacksaw were recovered from them during
police investigation.
The prosecution called three witnesses while the
accused persons testified for themselves and also
called three witnesses.
In his submission, counsel to the convicts, Mr
Cletus Ujah, insisted that the victim was
inconsistent in his testimony, arguing that the
prosecution’s evidence could not be said to be
overwhelming to nail his clients.
But the prosecuting counsel, Mr Obande Idikwu,
argued that from the evidence, it could be
deduced that there was an agreement to commit
an illegal act, which was pursued to a logical
conclusion.
Delivering judgment, Igoche held that the
prosecution had proved its case against the
convicts and found them guilty as charged.
In an allocutus, Ujah pleaded for leniency for the
accused persons, pointing out that they were
each the only sons of their parents and young
boys with a promising future ahead of them,
noting that they had no records of previous
conviction and were looking very remorseful, and
urged the court to temper justice with mercy.
But the judge said the punishment prescribed for
offenders under Section 1(2) of the Robbery and
Firearms Act was death by either hanging or firing
squad, pointing out that it was subject to the
governor’s discretion.
Curiously enough, it is Judges like Theresa Igoche
that will sentence politicians and rogue bankers
who steal billions to 6 months imprisonment
with an option of fine.
-LEADERSHIP