An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced three persons to death by hanging for robbing an 87-year-old woman, Mrs. Victoria Folorunso, of her money and valuables during a midnight attack in her home at Ifaki Ekiti.
The convicts — 30-year-old Shadrack Apos, 33-year-old Lucky Akpos, and 24-year-old Adunola Precious — were found guilty of conspiracy and armed robbery in violation of Sections 421 and 321 (2) (b) of the Criminal Laws of Ekiti State, 2021.
Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye declared that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, noting that the evidence presented showed that the trio jointly planned and executed the robbery.
“From the believable evidence before the court, it is clear that the defendants planned and agreed to rob the victim on June 12, 2024,” the judge said.
“The charge of conspiracy and armed robbery has therefore been proved beyond a reasonable doubt against the defendants.”
Justice Ogunmoye particularly noted that the third defendant, Adunola Precious — who worked as the victim’s househelp — played a “pivotal role” by giving the robbers access to the house.
“My earlier findings that the 3rd defendant, Adunola Precious, must have opened the door to enable the robbers to have seamless entry into the house she was sharing with the victim aptly demonstrated her role in the plan,” he stated.
According to court records, the convicts, armed with a gun and planks, stormed Mrs. Folorunso’s residence around 1 a.m. on June 12, 2024, demanding money and threatening to kill her.
Testifying before the court, the octogenarian recounted the terrifying moment the robbers broke into her room.
“I was sleeping around 1 a.m. when I suddenly saw two persons in my room. One pointed a gun at my forehead while the other held a plank. They asked me to bring all the money I had at home,” she told the court.
The elderly woman said the robbers took ₦100,000 she had kept under her mattress and another ₦47,000 hidden in her underwear.
“They took my wristwatch, which was a gift from my children, and my phone — but they later returned the phone,” she added.
Mrs. Folorunso also revealed that the robbers threatened to shoot her unless she withdrew an additional ₦3 million and gave it to her househelp to hand over to them.
“They were calling and threatening me for taking too long to send the money. That was when I called my children and told them everything,” she said.
Prosecution counsel Kunle-Shina Adeyemo called two witnesses and tendered several exhibits, including the defendants’ confessional statements, a search warrant, and a wooden gun recovered from the suspects.
The defendants, represented by counsels Oluwatoyin Marcus and Mitchel Aribisala, each called one witness in their defence but failed to convince the court.
After reviewing the submissions, Justice Ogunmoye sentenced the trio to death by hanging.
“The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd defendants are to be hanged by the neck until they are dead. May God have mercy on their souls,” he pronounced.
The judgment has drawn mixed reactions across the state, with many residents commending the court for delivering justice in a case that had shocked the Ifaki Ekiti community.
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