From Bamigbola
Gbolagunte, Akure
An Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure has sentenced a man, Aturoti Adeleke, to death by hanging, for armed robbery and rape.
According to the prosecution led by Remi Olatubora, the convict robbed some women of their valuables on May 29, 2016 about 1.00 a.m. and 3.00 a.m. at Olorunsogo Street, Adesula and Ademulegun roads in Ondo.
The convict was said to have also raped some of the victims after robbing them of their belongings including jewelries and phones. However, the convict pleaded not guilty to all the charges leveled against him.
One of the victims, Abebi Adegoroye while testifying before the court, said that the convict came into her room at about 2.00a.m and asked for money.
She stated that the convict did not wear a mask during the operation and that she saw his face clearly as there was electricity during the operation.
Adegoroye also told the court that when she told the convict that she had no money, he tied her down and raped her, after which he later searched her room and took away the sum of N48,000.
She added that she could identify the defendant by the first finger on one of his hands which was stiff.
The third victim while testifying told the court that the defendant robbed her of N47,000 and also attempted to rape her despite the fact that she told him she was pregnant.
She said: “When I was taking my children to school the following morning, I saw the convict behind a truck at tipper garage. I informed the Police and that was how he was arrested.”
The third victim said that she knew the convict as he had lived in their house and that her mother, one Hon. Desola Oyeneyin had fed him on several occasions.
The fourth victim, Bola Adedutire who was also robbed and raped by the convict, said that he came into her room while she was sleeping. and ordered her to remove her underwears.
and allow him to have sexual intercourse with her or else he would kill her four-month-old baby.
Another witness, Jegede Abayomi, a police officer from Fagun station said the convict also robbed one Toyin Ijitimehin, a manager at a petrol filling station of her valuables when he accosted her on a motorcycle and threatened her with a gun.
Hon. Desola Oyeneyin who was also a victim and a mother to the third victim said she was praying in her room around midnight when she heard someone knock on her door telling her to open the door as thieves were outside.
She explained that when she opened her door, she recognised him as the boy that she used to care for, adding that he took away her jewelries and money.
However, the convict denied ever being involved in any of the crimes he was alleged to have committed though he admitted to be familiar with the third and the sixth victims as they had taken care of him when he was young.
Delivering his ruling, Justice S.A Bola ordered that the convict should be hanged.
He observed that with the identification parade, the testimonies of the complainants were consistent, the evidences constituted in the testimonies of the witnesses had been established in the case and further described the accused person as a threat to the society and a serial rapist.