Three youths have been sentenced to 17 years in jail by a state High Court sitting in Bauchi, for an armed robbery operation.
The youths had in 2018 attacked one Abdullahi Ahmodu with machetes and sticks and then robbed him of the sum of N60,000.
The prosecuting counsel, M.M. Adamu argued that the convicts, Muazu Ya’u, Adamu Abdullahi, Awalu Babayo of Gertogel Village in Bauchi Local Government Area, were charged in September 2018 for armed robbery, which is contrary to section 96 and punishable under 97 of the Penal Code of Bauchi; Vol 1 of 2006.
A second charge noted that the convicts, together with one Ruwa Abdullahi, now at large, “attacked one Abdullahi Ahmodu with machetes and sticks, to which he became unconscious, after which you robbed him of the sum of N60,000 and thereby committed an act punishable under section 1 (1) a and b of the Robbery and Fire Arms (special provisions Act Cap R11, LFN 2004, as applicable to Bauchi State.”
In his judgment, Justice Abubakar sentenced them to two years imprisonment for the first charge count each, and 15 years imprisonment each for the second count charge.
The charges were handed without an option of fine.
Counsel to the defendants, Yakubu Maikasuwa, reacting to the judgment, said he was not satisfied, hinting that his clients will appeal the ruling and may be favoured.
“We are not happy that criminal acts are on the increase,” Maikasuwa said.
According to him, three things make the judgment favourable for his clients – the witness who could testify, proven evidence and confessional statement written at the Police Station.
“In this case, the court relied solely on the confessional statements (made by the accused persons at the police station),” he said.