Court sentences man to 21 years imprisonment over robbery in Ondo

Gbenga Akintola was given a 21-year prison term by a court in Akure, Ondo State, for his role in a heist.

In 2021, Akintola was caught by the Amotekun command and the police in Ondo town after robbing three people of their cash and belongings while utilizing deadly weapons like cutlasses. He was then charged with five counts, including conspiracy to conduct armed robbery and armed robbery, and was hauled before the court.

Inspector Alako Abdulahi, the police prosecutor, said that on October 19, 2021, the Amotekun Corps took four mobile phones, a motorcycle, a suitcase, and a small pocketbook from Akintola and brought him to the police station.

 The criminal countered that he did not know the motorcycle was stolen because he claimed to have purchased it from a man by the name of Sunday Igbo. Additionally, he stated that Sunday's home was where the stolen goods were discovered, but Sunday was nowhere to be found. He claimed that if he did not pay N200,000 to ensure his release, the police would have accused him of robbery.

Due to a lack of evidence connecting the cutlass found in the inmate's home to the robbery allegation, Justice William Olamide rendered the verdict, clearing the defendant of charges 2, 4, and 5.

However, the court found him guilty of conspiracy and robbery, and he was given concurrent sentences of 21 years for robbery and seven years for conspiracy.

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