Dappa Maharajah
AN Akure High Court sitting in Ondo State has sentenced a middle aged man, Mr. Aturoti Adeleke to death by hanging for serial armed robbery attacks and rape on his victims, including former benefactors.
According to the prosecution led by Mr. Remi Olatubora, the convict robbed his victims, all women, dispossessed them of their money, valuables and sometimes raped them.
The convict went on rampage on 27 and 29 May, 2016 at about
1 a.m. and 3 a.m. at Olorunsogo Street, Adesula and Ademulegun Road, Ondo in Ondo West Local Government Area of the state.
A police witness disclosed that the case was first investigated by the Divisional Police Station at Funbi Fagun, Ondo before it was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and later to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Akure.
Another police officer from Funbi Fagun Station, Mrs Jegede Abayomi, said that the convict also robbed one Toyin Ijitimehin, a manager at a petrol filling station of her valuables.Aturoti accosted her on a motorcycle and threatened her with a gun.
One of the victims, Mrs Abebi Adegoroye testified that the convict came into her room around 2 a.m. asking for money.
Adegoroye added that he was not masked during the operation and that she saw his face clearly as there was electricity during the night.
She narrated that when she told him that she had no money, he tied her down, raped her, later searched her room and took away her N48,000.
She further told the court that she could identify the defendant by the first finger on one of his hands which was stiff.
While the third victim testified that the defendant robbed her of N47,000 and also wanted to rape her despite the fact that she told him she was pregnant.
She claimed that she had seen his face when he took out a gas lighter to light his cigarette, raising an alarm when she saw him the following morning when taking her children to school at Tipper Garage.
The third victim, who reported and eventually facilitated his arrest, said the convict had lived with her mother, Mrs Desola Oyeneyin, who housed and fed him on several occasions.
Mrs Oyeneyin, who was also a victim, also recounted that she was praying in her room around midnight when she heard someone knocked at her door telling her to open the door as thieves were outside.
She explained that when she opened her door, she recognised him as the boy that she used to care for, demanding that she should bring out all the money she had in the house. She said that he took away her jewelries and money.
Another witness, Mrs Bola Adedutire who was also robbed and raped, said that he came into her room while she was sleeping and ordered her to remove her underwears.
Adedutire revealed that he demanded to allow him have sexual intercourse with her or else he would kill her four months old baby. She said that she subsequently submitted to him.
But Aturoti denied the allegations though he admitted to be familiar with Oyeneyin and her daughter, whom he said had taken care of him when he was young.
He claimed that he had a National Diploma in Marketing and livesdat Yaba, Agbogbo Oke in Ondo, professing to be an upcoming pop artiste. He claimed to have been at a mini-mart having fun with his friends when he was arrested by the police.
The presiding judge, Justice S.A Bola stated that there were three indisputable facts such as the defendant owned the boxer shots admitted as exhibit which the victims claimed he wore when he robbed and raped them.
Bola added that the victims were known to him prior to the commission of the offence and the stiff fingers which the victims testified about indeed was a permanent feature on the defendant as it was established by the court.
He observed that the identification parade, testimonies and evidences were consistent and proven beyond reasonable doubt as a threat to the society and a serial rapist, declaring him guilty of all charges.
He stated that the law provides that rape attracts life imprisonment while armed robbery attracts a death sentence and thereafter sentenced the accused in the same manner.
