The Bauchi State High Court has convicted and sentenced three armed robbers to 17 years imprisonment each for robbing their victim of N60,000.
The convicts, Muazu Ya’u, Adamu Abdullahi and Awalu Babayo, were arraigned before Justice Muazu Abubakar of the Bauchi State High Court 5, sitting in Bauchi, by the police on two-count charge bordering on armed robbery in September, 2018.
The Bauchi State High Court 5 found them guilty and sentenced the three of them for the robbery offence committed sometime in 2018.
According to the prosecution, the act committed by convicts was contrary to Section 96 and punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code of Bauchi State; Vol 1 of 2006.
According to the prosecuting counsel, M.M. Adamu, the convicts, together with one Ruwa Abdullahi, now at large, attacked one Abdullahi Ahmadu with machetes and sticks, to which he became unconscious, after which they robbed him of the sum of N60,000.
By this, the convicts were said to have committed an act punishable under Section 1 (1) (a) and (b) of the Robbery and Fire Arms (Special Provisions Act Cap R11, LFN 2004, as applicable to Bauchi State.
Delivering judgment in the case on Tuesday, Justice Abubakar held that the prosecution had been able to prove its case against the convicts and subsequently found them guilty of the charge preferred against them.
The judge, therefore, sentenced each of them to two years imprisonment on count one and 15 years imprisonment each for count charge two without any option of fine.
He, however, directed that the sentence shall run concurrently.
Reacting to the judgment, the convicts’ counsel, Yakubu Maikasuwa, expressed his discomfort with the sentence and informed that he would appeal the judgment, saying that he was hopeful that his clients would be set free.
In his words, “We are not happy that criminal acts are on the increase but there should be fair hearing of such cases.”
