Court sentence two men to death for rape, robbery

A Lagos State High Court in Igbosere has sentenced two men, Williams Udoh and Ubong Isaiah, to death by hanging for rape and armed robbery, following their arraignment by the Lagos State Government on a five-count charge

Penpushing reports that, Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye while delivering judgement on Wednesday also sentenced Udoh to 21 years imprisonment for raping a married woman during their robbery operation.

The judge during virtual court proceedings,  found the defendants guilty as charged,adding that, the prosecution, through its six witnesses, proved its case beyond reasonable doubt that the offences of rape, armed robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery were indeed committed by the convicts.

“The prosecution has successfully established that series of robberies took place on August 2, 2015 and that the robbers were armed with guns and other offensive weapons.The failure of the state to tender the weapons does not water down the fact that the weapons were actually used’, she noted.

“I am satisfied with the evidence of the prosecution witnesses (PW), together with the graphic testimony of the PW1. There is no room for any mistaken identity that the defendants were actually those who participated in the armed robbery’, the judge said.

“Also, I find the testimony of PW3 credible and detailed. Penetration, however slight, constitutes an offence of rape. PW3 was able to establish that the first defendant (Udoh) raped her. She said that the defendants were not masked; so she was able to identify them.

“The testimony of PW3 was also corroborated by PW2, which is cogent to establish that PW3 was indeed raped. Having established the offences of rape and armed robbery, the prosecution has indeed proved its case beyond every reasonable doubt.

“I, therefore, find you Williams Udoh and Ubong Isaiah guilty as charged.You shall be hung by the neck until you are dead. May God have mercy on your souls.The first defendant, Udoh, is also sentenced to 21 years imprisonment for the offence of rape. This is the sentence of the court,” Ipaye declared.

Penpushing further reports that, earlier before the judgement, counsels to the defendants, Emmanuel Ohonyon and Jumil Bashir, urged the court to temper justice with mercy, explaining that the convicts were family men, whose families depended on, adding that “if given a second chance, the convicts will turn a new leaf.”

The court was told by one of the victims, Ijeoma Ojiakor, during trial, one of the victims,of  how the robbers launched their attack,  robbed and raped her, adding that  after raping her, the first defendant took her eight- year-old daughter to the other five gang members stationed outside to rape, adding, however, that they refused to rape her.

Penpushing reports that, Ojiakor further told the court  that before she was raped, the first convict hit her husband’s head with a gun and then tied him up.