Four Nigerians Jailed 360 Years For Robbery

The Accra Fast Track High Court has sentenced four Nigerians to a total of 360 years for robbery.

They are to serve 80 years each with hard labour after they were each found guilty and convicted on two counts of conspiracy and robbery.

Heavily armed Emmanuel Emeka, 38; Samuel Tanko, 28; Promise Emeka, 27, and Efanye Osuchukwu, 33, around 1 a.m. on February 25, 2006 forcibly entered the residence of an Accra-based legal practitioner, inflicted deep machete wounds on her and her brother and robbed them of valuable items.

The items included a Konica camera, two mobile phones, jewellery, a handbag containing valuable documents, including a drivers’ licence and cash of GH¢150.

Not satisfied with their booty, the convicts, who were armed with a pump action gun with several pouches of ammunition, two locally manufactured pistols, a dagger, machetes and a metal cutter, subjected their victims to severe brutality.

The convicts, who had terrorised more than 50 households at West Legon, Haatso, Kwabenya and Agbogba, all suburbs of Accra, were picked up by the police from their hideout on April 28, 2006.

Citing authorities to buttress the court’s decision, the trial judge, Mr Justice Charles Quist, held that the prosecution had proved the guilt of the four convicts beyond reasonable doubt.

He said robbery was a menace to society and for that reason the court would impose harsh sentences on the convicts to serve as a deterrent.

The court held that the three prosecution witnesses had been consistent in their evidence and there had been abundant proof that the four committed the offence at the residence of the complainant on February 25, 2006.

It said the convicts woefully failed in their bid to defend themselves and rather ended up admitting the offence during cross-examination from the prosecution.

The four had, during cross-examination from a State Attorney, Mr Paul Assibi Abariga, stated that they usually buried the weapons they used for their robberies on a farm at Kwabenya and later picked them up anytime they had an operation to embark upon.

After considering the totality of the evidence adduced, the court, however, acquitted and discharged Chiyioka Joseph, 30, a fifth accused person.

It held that the prosecution failed to prove a case beyond reasonable doubt against Joseph and, accordingly, granted Joseph his freedom after four years in custody.

Daily Graphic

Nigeria: Gunmen abduct 4 expatriates, kill Nigerian

Three British nationals and a Colombian were yesterday morning kidnapped at Owaza Junction in Abia State along Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway by yet-to-be identified gunmen. A Nigerian security officer, whose identity was not immediately known, was reportedly killed, while their driver sustained injuries in the attack. The kidnapped Britons are John Bennet, Kevin Gray and Martin Phillip, while the Columbian was identified as Fabien Sanchez, all contract staff of NetcoDietsmann working at Shell’s Afam V1 power plant. No group has claimed responsibility for the incident, which is coming barely four days after an unidentified group blew up Chevron’s Makaraba-Utonana pipeline in Delta State, forcing the company to shut in 20,000 barrels per day of crude oil production. Sources told THISDAY that the place where they were attacked had a police checkpoint less than 100 metres away and close to the Imo River Bridge where policemen from Abia and Rivers States mount check points on both sides of the bridge. Spokesman of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Mr. Precious Okolobo, said the four expatriate contract staff were abducted by the armed gang who attacked the convoy that was conveying them to their project site. He said: “SPDC has received reports of an armed attack on a convoy that was transporting some contract staff (NetcoDietsmann) to work at Afam V1 power plant. The incident occurred this morning, Tuesday, January 12. Regrettably, we understand that the attackers took away four expatriate contract staff. We are concerned for their safety and our thoughts are with them and their families at this difficult time. SPDC is cooperating with the government and contractors and supporting efforts for their safe release.” Also, police authorities in Rivers State confirmed that the abductees were contractors working for a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell. Rivers State Police spokeswoman Rita Abbey told the AFP news agency that the victims were ambushed by the gunmen. “They are Shell contractors who were going to Aba in Abia State,” Abbey said. She added that police had launched a search in and around the town situated northeast of Port Harcourt. The AFP reported that the British Foreign Office said it was looking into the report “as a matter of great urgency”. Attacks on oil installations and abduction of expatriate workers had been the order of the day in the oil-rich Niger Delta. But the region had been relatively calm since most of the militant groups laid down their arms last year following the amnesty offer by the Federal Government. However, the Niger Delta youths had been expressing concern over the slow progress in implementing the terms of the amnesty. Industry sources told THISDAY at the weekend that the absence of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who had been hospitalised in Saudi Arabia for nearly seven weeks, might further heighten tension in the region. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) claimed responsibility for the attack on a major crude oil delivery pipeline in the creeks of Abonema, Rivers State on December 19, 2009. The group said it carried out the attack to protest the prolonged absence of ailing President Yar’Adua from the country, adding that the slow pace of implementation of the post-amnesty programme was unacceptable. Source: Thisdayonline.com

Interior Minister: Shoot To Kill If…

Following the current trend of armed robbery in the country, the interior Minister, Mr. Cletus Avoka has declared war on armed robbers anywhere in the country and has inspired the Police to shoot them if possible, “kill them, if that is the only way to save yourself.”. According to Mr. Avoka, the first law of nature is self preservation and for that reason, he has encouraged the Police to value their lives and that of the good citizens of Ghana. He stated, “the police don’t have to spare them if they are fired at. Shoot them dead if they try to kill you because you are trying to protect lives and properties of citizens.He said, although he values the concerns of the human right institution, the law of self defence is also enshrined in our law books and the lives of our security personnel is also valuable to this nation. We have to draw a line somewhere, either the lives of the robbers or the lives of our security personnel. He made it clear that he does not condone a policy of shoot to kill, but if one’s life is at risk, he or she can apply the law of self defence, likewise a police officer must not lose his or life to an armed robber. “Shoot him if he tries to kill you because an armed robber is not licensed to kill.” He added that it is painful to suffer and acquire property only for an armed robber to use just a day to come and kill you and take away your property. The minister was speaking on Peace FM’s morning show “kokrokoo” in reaction to a statement he made yesterday during the inauguration of a police council to the effect that the police should not spare the lives of armed robbers if theirs is at risk. Whilst speaking on the show, a report came in from our correspondent, Teacher Korsah in Wassa Bekwai, that a police officer had been murdered. The minister cited that as a typical example saying “if the policeman had shot the robbers, he wouldn’t have lost his life. credit:peacefmonline.com