In a recent ruling at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, a 30-year-old labourer, Samson Saliu, has been sentenced to a decade behind bars for his involvement in armed robbery activities at the Ijora Badia Bridge during the early hours of the morning and at night.
Justice Modupe Nicol-Clay handed down the sentence following a plea bargain agreement, during which Saliu changed his plea from not guilty to guilty.
Initially arraigned on July 21, 2021, on six counts of conspiracy and armed robbery, Saliu was charged by the state government for his involvement in robbing individuals of their valuables while armed with a jack knife and ground plug.
According to the state’s prosecution counsel, Adeshola Adekunle-Bello, Saliu committed the offenses with accomplices who are currently at large. The incidents included robbing victims of cash, electronic devices, and other personal belongings.
Among the victims was Jamiu Ramon, who was robbed of N25,000, as well as Abdulqudus Ayomide and Odiri Oginni, who lost various items to Saliu’s criminal activities.
During the trial, two witnesses testified against Saliu, corroborating the accounts of the robberies and his involvement.
In delivering the judgment, Justice Nicol-Clay recounted the testimonies of the witnesses, detailing the circumstances of the robberies and Saliu’s subsequent apprehension by the police.
After reviewing the plea bargain agreement, Justice Nicol-Clay found Saliu guilty of the offenses of conspiracy and attempted armed robbery, sentencing him to 10 years in prison. The judge specified that the imprisonment term would commence from the day Saliu was first remanded in custody in 2016.
