Court remands 2 over armed robbery, attempted murder

An Obafemi Owode Magistrates’ Court in Ogun on Wednesday remanded two men– Feranmi Ajimosun, 33, and Awotile Samuel, 35,– in a correctional centre for allegedly robbing a motorcyclist and attempting to kill him.

The defendants, whose addresses were not provided, are facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, armed robbery and attempted murder.

The Police Prosecutor, Adekunle Opayemi, had told the court that the defendants committed the offence on June 29 at about 7:00pm on the Ofada Mowe-Road in Ogun.

Opayemi said the defendants conspired and robbed one Akinola Adenekan of his Bajaj motorcycle valued at N240,000.

According to him, Feranmi, the first defendant, had boarded the motorcycle from Oniyanrin in Mowe and asked the complaint to take him to Ofada-Mowe area.

On the way, Feranmi asked him to pick the second defendant, Awotile, who he said was his friend.

“On the express way, Feranmi from behind suddenly held the complainant (Akinola) on the neck and twisted it.

“While the complainant was struggling with him, he brought out a cutlass and gave the complainant a cut on the forehead,” he said.

He said the duo subsequently ran way with the motorcycle and were later arrested by the police after the complainant identified where one of them was working.

The prosecutor said that the offences contravened Section 6(b),1(2)(a) and 320 of the Armed Robbery Prohibition Act, 2004.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them.

The Magistrate, Omotayo Odubanjo, ordered that the defendants be remanded in a correctional centre pending receipt of legal advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

He adjourned the case till Oct. 23 for further hearing.