A 28-year-old bus driver, Ikechukwu Emmanuel, was on Monday sentenced to 55 years in prison for robbing one Ikenna Odiachi of twenty eight thousand Naira cash and his Range Rover Jeep.

Emmanuel was found guilty and convicted on a two count charge of the offence of conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery by Justice Raliat Adebiyi of an Ikeja High court.

“The defendant has on several occasions tried to mislead this court by claiming that he does not understand English language and required an interpreter and that he is a driver but denied knowing what a vehicle particulars is.

“The defendant is hereby sentenced to 25 years on each count, both to run concurrently, effective from the date of remand in prison custody.”

Emmanuel’s journey to prison began on March 24, 2013 at Total Filing Station Awolowo Road Ikoyi, Lagos.

The victim was about driving out of the petrol station when he was accosted by some men who pushed him into the back seat of his car and took over the steering wheels.

“The attackers blindfolded him, tied his hands and legs and threatened to kill him if he didn’t cooperate.

“The convict drove the car to a nearby ATM machine were the withdrew the sum of N28,000 from the victim’s account and later drove him around Lagos.

“They dropped him in the Yaba area of Lagos and drove off with the car. Unknown to them, the car which was fixed with an anti theft tracker was traced to Benin City and the convict was arrested as the driver of the car.

Meanwhile, the convict stated in his confessional statement that he was commissioned by one Chukwuma Felix to transport a Range Rover sport to Benin City for the sum of N50,000.

The convict stated that he was given the original document of the vehicle and a phone number to call when he arrives Benin.

“I was paid N30,000 and money for petrol in Lagos, to collect the outstanding N20,000 on arrival in Benin.

“At Benin, I called the phone number and was directed to wait patiently at a bar. It was while he was waiting that the police showed up and started beating me and took me to the station,” Emmanuel had told the court during trial.

 

Source: Tribuneonlineng.com

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