Eleven armed robbers were on Friday arraigned before an Apapa Magistrates’ Court for allegedly robbing people of their possessions by inflicting injury with cutlass on them and shooting gun in Apapa.
The armed robbers are Quadiri Bashorun (28), Sikiru Soliu (25), Ibrahim Kareem (24), Audu Shetima (48), Kazeem Ayebusi (29), Friday Dennis (25), Abba Abubakar (23), Mustapha Ismail (23), Efe Onos (31), Babagana Alli (28) and Ismail Muhammed (31). They are facing a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, assault, stealing, unlawful possession of weapons and illicit drugs.
The prosecutor, Inspector Ferdinard Asu, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on December 17, 2018 at about 7pm at Church Street, Ijora-Badia, Apapa.
“The defendants unlawfully conspired together with others at large to inflict injury with cutlass on one Taiwo Gbadegesin and collected the sum of N100,000, one Ipad phone valued at N85,000 from him with force by shooting gun,” Asu said.
The prosecutor also said that the defendants inflicted injury with cutlass on one Sunday Adefehinti and collected the sum of N150,000 from him with force by shooting gun. They also inflicted injury with cutlass on one Biola Opaowoeye and collected one Infinix phone valued at N45,000 from her with force by shooting gun.
Asu said the defendants had in their possessions three cartridges of live ammunition, quantities of weed suspected to be Indian hemp, two television, three ATM cards of different banks, one cheque book belonging to one Animashaun Ganiyat Amori.
According to him, the offences are punishable under sections 299, 297 and 329 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.
All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them.
In his ruling, Magistrate M.O Olubi granted the defendants bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties each in like sum.
The sureties, according to the Magistrate, must furnish the court with proof of tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
He adjourned the case till January 14, 2019 for mention.
