AN Asaba High Court, yesterday,
sentenced two persons to death by hanging, having found them guilty of
kidnapping and robbing a female magistrate at gunpoint on Boxing Day two years
ago.
The convicted persons, Saidu Haruna
and Raphael Egwuba, who claimed to be phone technicians and welder at Osubi,
respectively, were arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy to commit
kidnapping, kidnapping and armed robbery on charge no A/37C/2012.
Prosecution told the court that the
female magistrate was, on December 26, 2011, driving into her compound at noon,
when the armed men abducted her.
She was eventually taken to a bush
where they dispossessed her of valuables, including an ATM card, which the
convicts used to withdraw an undisclosed amount before they were caught.
However, during trial, prosecution
called two witnesses, including the victim (female magistrate), to prove its
case and also tendered some exhibits before the court, including the
magistrate’s Blackberry phone, which eventually helped in tracking the
convicts.
Identification parades were also
conducted at the office of the Department of State Services, DSS, and in the
open court, where the victim identified them.
The trial judge (identity withheld)
in passing the sentence yesterday, said: “I disbelieve the evidence of the
first and second accused persons as their testimonies were full of
contradictions and meant to cover their tracks.
“From the totality of the evidence
before this court, I hold that the first and second accused persons were
involved in the kidnapping and robbing of one Onoriode Yvonne Asheshe of her
Honda Pilot SUV, ATM card, jewelries and BlackBerry phone, while armed with a
gun.
“I hold that prosecution has proved
ingredients of counts one, two and three against the accused beyond reasonable
doubt.
“For count three (armed
robbery), I hereby sentence the accused persons for execution by hanging on the
neck until they be dead. May God have mercy on their souls.”
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