By Romanus Okoye, Lagos

Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo of the Lagos High Court sitting at Ikeja has sentenced 21-year-old Michael Showumi to 21 years in prison for conspiracy to commit robbery.

The state prosecution team led by Dr Babajide Martins had arraigned Showumi on a two-count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery in 2011 to which he pleaded not guilty.

Related News

While delivering judgement, Justice Lawal-Akapo held that the state did not prove the offence of armed robbery against the convict but found him guilty of conspiracy. The judge ordered that the jail term should start running from September 26, 2011, when the convict was remanded.

In his plea for mercy before the sentencing, defence counsel Mr Yemi Omodele, who noted that the convict is a first time offender, begged the court to temper justice with mercy.