Islamic cleric to spend 14 years behind bars for attempted robbery

An Islamic cleric, Taofeek Olawale, was on Wednesday sentenced to 14 years in prison by an Ikeja High Court for attempted robbery.

The convict, Olawale who has been in prison custody since 2012, was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and attempted armed robbery by Justice R.I.B. Adebiyi.

During the trial, Olawale insisted on his innocence and told the court that he went to Lakuwe Junction, Ajah on May 6, 2012, to offer sacrifices on behalf of one his clients.

Olawale an Arabic teacher in his area said: “I live with my girlfriend at Lakwe and on the said day of the incident, I had gone to the T-junction at Lakwe at about 12am, dressed in white Jalabiya (muslim attire) to offer sacrifices on behalf of my client who was suffering from leg pains and also spiritual problems.

“It was while I was chanting incantations that someone suddenly appeared with a cutlass and struck me on the head. I lost consciousness only to wake up and find myself in the Lagos State Teaching Hospital,” he said.

However, the complainant, Jephthah Ekwueme who was also the only prosecution witness during the trial told the court while being led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Mr. O.A Olulaga, that on the day of the incident he was lying in bed when someone shone a torch light through his window and commanded him to open the door.

“I heard more than one voice commanding me to open the door to my apartment that they were armed robbers.

“I grabbed a cutlass and swung it through the window and it hit one of them. They thereafter took to their heels and it was then I opened the door and shouted for my neighbors. I pursued one of them who happened to be the defendant who I had injured with the cutlass as he was also wearing a long white garment.

“He ran into the next compound and I followed him there. I managed to subdue him until the police arrived,” he testified.

While delivering her judgment, Justice Raliat Adebiyi, found the defendant guilty on the grounds that the prosecution was able to prove its case of attempted robbery against the defendant.

“The only witness in the matter told the court that the defendant was wearing a white garment when he was caught on the night of the incident, and this was also corroborated by the defendant who also affirmed that he was wearing a white jalabiya on the night of the incident.

“The defendant was also caught at the scene of the crime with the witness who is also the victim identifying him,” the Judge ruled.

In his allocutus, counsel to the convict, Mr. Worer Oduagbaka pleaded with the trial judge to temper justice with mercy.
Oduagbaka said that the convict, who is still in his youth, was a first time offender and that if given a second chance; he could still be useful to the society.

Justice Adebiyi thereafter sentenced the convict to 14 years in prison on both counts.