A 38-year-old farmer, Francis Williams has been sentenced to death by hanging by a Delta State High Court, presided over by Justice A.O. Akpovi for allegedly stealing a Nokia phone valued at N5,000 and a cash sum of one hundred and seventy naira (N170) from his victims.
Justice Akpovi was said to have sentenced Williams to death having found him guilty of the charge of armed robbery punishable under section (1(2)(a) of the robbery and firearms (Special Provision) Act Cap RII Volume 14 Laws of the Federation, 2004.
The judge also found the accused guilty on the charge of wounding his victims with intent which got him a life sentence and illegal possession of firearms with a sentence of 10 years imprisonment respectively.
According to prosecution witnesses, the
convict had on June 4, 2014, at a Palm Kernel Farm located at Ewu in
Ughelli South Local Council, robbed a former councillor, Noah Ovie and
his assistant while armed with a cut-to-size locally made gun. However
he was unlucky with his plan as the two victims summoned courage and
overpowered him. In a bid to to escape after being apprehended, the
suspect bit off one of the fingers of Mr Noah and tried to runwaway but
his escape plan was foiled by passersby, who rushed to the scene and
held him down before handling him over to the police.
The accused, who made a voluntary confessional statement to the police, admitted to have committed the offence but retracted same during trial, called no witness but testified for himself while the prosecution called four witnesses in proof of its case.
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