The Supreme Court seating in Lagos has affirmed the conviction and 21 years imprisonment handed to a man, Femi Ayoade, who with two others, robbed a motorcycle rider and a passenger of N2,000 in Lagos, usingĀ a toy gun.
Members of a five-man panel , headed by Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, were unanimous in holding that the appeal by Ayoade, marked: SC/456/2018, was without merit and dismissed it.
Justice Amina Augie held, in the lead judgment, that the appellant failed to establish his claim that the trial court denied him fair hearing.
Ayoade and two others were tried before a Lagos State High Court on a two-count charge of conspiracy to commit robbery.
They were said to have used a toy gun to attack and rob a motorcycle rider and his passenger of a total of N2,000 (N500 from the motorcycle rider and N1,500 from the passenger).
In a judgment on April 1, 2014, Justice I. O. Kasali found Ayoade guilty as charged, convicted him and sentenced him to 21 years imprisonment.
Ayoade appealed to the Court of Appeal. And, in its judgment on March 2, 2018, the appellate court affirmed the earlier decision of the trial court, which was further affirmed in the Supreme Court judgment delivered on January 24, 2020.