An Ekiti State High Court has sentenced 37-year-old Ayeni Kazeem to death by hanging for robbing five students of Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology (BOUESTI) at gunpoint.
Justice Lekan Olatawura found Kazeem guilty on five counts of armed robbery, ruling that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The court heard that the convict stormed a student hostel in Ikere-Ekiti on October 2, 2024, armed with a double-barrel pistol. He forced the students to surrender their mobile phones worth about ₦680,000 before fleeing.
One of the victims, Adewale Moyinoluwa, told the court they initially thought the intruder was joking until he loaded the gun with cartridges and threatened them.
During the trial, the prosecution called seven witnesses and tendered the defendant’s confessional statements and other exhibits. The defence pleaded for mercy, but the court held that the offence carries a mandatory death sentence under the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
Justice Olatawura also noted that the convict showed no remorse throughout the trial before sentencing him to death by hanging.
