Court Discharges Female Armed Robbery Suspect On DPP's Advice

An Ikeja Magistrates' Court on Thursday struck out case of armed robbery against a female suspect, Funke Adesanmi, 31 following `‘no prosecution’' advice by the state Director of Public Prosecution(DPP).

Magistrate A. Oshodi-Makanju struck out the case against the accused and ordered her release from prison custody in compliance with the DPP's directive that the accused had no case to answer.

The DPP's advice, dated Feb. 13, was read by the prosecutor, Mr Samson Ekikere, to the court.

``After careful consideration of the facts of the duplicate file, the office is of the opinion that a Prima Facie case of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and robbery contrary to sections 295 and 297(2), Criminal Law of Lagos, 2011, were not disclosed against the suspect.

``Mere suspicion in law is not enough to establish Prima Facie," It reads in part.

The DPP said in the advice that the complainant was robbed by a gang of four armed robbers comprising two women and two men, now at-large.

He said that Adesanmi was just a neighbour to the other two suspects who unfortunately implicated her.

The DPP, therefore, recommended the discharge of the case against the accused and her release from prison custody ``as the ingredients of armed robbery were not present in the case against her.’’

The DPP, however, advised the prosecution of Victoria Segun, 24 and Adijat Waheed, 25 in the case of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and robbery contrary to sections 295 and 297(3), Criminal Laws of Lagos, 2011.

The accused, arrested on July 10, 2012, have been in prison custody awaiting DPP's legal advice as their plea was not taken on the day of arraignment.

The duo, who reside at Atere St., Imota, Ikorodu, Lagos, were arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery.

The prosecutor had, on the day of arraignment, told the court that the accused allegedly conspired to rob one Alhaji Bashiru.

He said the accused, armed with a locally-made pistol and other dangerous items, robbed the complainant of two Nokia cell phones, valued at N20,000 and N520,000 cash.

The prosecutor said that the offence was committed on June 23, 2012, at 6.30p.m, at Lagos Island, Lagos. (NAN)TK's Blog | Free Forex Signals | Infotech Arena Tech News |