Two rape and armed robbery convicts, Williams Udoh
and Ubong Isaiah, have been sentenced to death by hanging by a Lagos High Court
sitting at Igbosere High Court on Wednesday.
The trial judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye, also
sentenced Udoh to 21- year imprisonment for raping a married woman during their
robbery operation.
The trial judge pronounced the convicts guilty of
the five count charge bordering on conspiracy, armed robbery and rape brought
against them by the Lagos State government
Ipaye, while delivering judgment during virtual
sitting of the court said the prosecution has proved its case beyond every
reasonable doubt.
She held that the offences of rape, armed robbery
and conspiracy to commit robbery were indeed committed by the defendants.
During trial, the prosecution, Ms Titilaya
Shitta-Bey, now Solicitor General, had called six witnesses, including one
However, during trial, one of the victims Ijeoma Ojiakor who told the court how
the convicts raped her.
She said after raping her, the first defendant took
her eight-year-old daughter to the other five gang members stationed outside to
rape but that they rejected her.
The victim also said that before she was raped, the
first convict hit her husband’s head with a gun and then tied him up.
In their allocutus, counsel to the defendants,Mr
Emmanuel Ohonyon and Mr Jumil Bashir urged the court to temper justice with
mercy.
They pleaded that “if given a second chance, they would
turn a new leaf”.
The prosecution led by Ms Shitta-Bey had
re-arraigned the convicts on July 13, 2017 on a five count charge to which they
pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution alleged that the duo and others at
large committed the offences on Aug. 2 2015, at two different residents, at
Shepherd Estate, Daramola Street, Ijegun and No. 8, Ologun Ijegun, Lagos.
She said that the convicts conspired and while armed
with guns and other offensive weapons like sledge harmer and machetes, robbed
one Ijeoma Orjiakor and Micheal Orjiakor of phones, jewelry, one laptop and
cash of N40, 000.
She said that the offences contravened Sections
258(1), 295(2) and 297 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
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