The Supreme Court has affirmed the death sentence passed on Segun Ajibade by the Ogun State High Court in Abeokuta almost 10 years ago, precisely on 14th January 2003.
In a unanimous judgment delivered by Muhammada Muntaka-Coomassie, the apex court considered Ajibade’s appeal against the concurrent judgments of the Court of Appeal and the trial Court as “totally devoid of merit.”
The appellant, who was arrested and charged with three other persons on two counts of conspiracy to commit felony and armed robbery, had filed an appeal claiming he was given unfair hearing by trial court to enter his defence.
Ajibade, alongside the three other convicts, had on 23rd October 2000, while armed with Iron-rod, stole a lister Generating set at ELF Filling station, Abeokuta, Ogun State, killing one of the guards and injuring many others in the process.
At the trial, the prosecution called 11 witnesses and tendered 13 exhibits while the appellant rested his case on that of the prosecution.
The trial court proceeded at the adjourned date and delivered its judgment, which found the accused persons guilty of the offences and consequently sentenced them to deaths after convicting them.
Upholding the judgment, Justice Muntaka-Coomassie said he held strong view that the appellant did not or refuse or even fail to rebut or contradict the prosecution’s evidence, neither did he advance any evidence that he did not participate in the commission of the said armed robbery.
