Court remands 3 for alleged armed robbery

An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Thursday remanded three men in Kirikiri Correctional Centre for allegedly robbing two men of their phones valued at N270,000.

The defendants – Nnaemeka Udeh, 22; Obinna Onovoh, 23; and Arinze Eze, 26 – are being tried for conspiracy, belonging to an unlawful society and armed robbery.

Magistrate Mrs O.A. Layinka, who did not take the defendants’ plea.

Layinka directed the Police to send the case file to the state Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.

She adjourned the case until July 19 for DPP advice.

The Prosecution, Insp. Lucky Ihiehie, told the court that the defendants and other persons, still at large, committed the offences on March 27 at Ladipo market, Mushin, Lagos State.

He said that the defendants, who belonged to an unlawful society, known as Vikings, armed with dangerous weapons and robbed Mr Chisom Mbah and Chinedu Dikeh of their phones.

“The trio, armed with cutlasses, scissors, axes, bottles and other weapons, robbed Mbah of his N150,000 cellphone and Dikeh’s N120,000 phone.

“The defendants took to their heels but were eventually arrested,’’ Ihiehie, told the court.

The prosecutor noted that the offences violated sections 42, 297 and 299 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

It was reported that section 42 stipulates three years imprisonment for belonging to an unlawful society while section 297 attracts 21 years for armed robbery.