After 7 years in prison, court sentences man to life imprisonment for attempting to rob reverend in Abuja

The FCT High Court in Kubwa, on Tuesday sentenced a man, Hassan Aminu, to life imprisonment for attempted armed robbery.

The Attorney-General of the Federation charged Aminu with four counts bordering of attempted robbery.

Justice Asmau Akanbi-Yusuf convicted Aminu and sentenced him to one year in prison on count one, 14 years in prison on count four, and life imprisonment on count three.

Akanbi-Yusuf said that the court could not exercise its discretion in sentencing the defendant regarding count three saying that the law provided the punishment in Section 2(2) A&B of the Robbery and Firearms Act.

Earlier, the defence counsel, Mercy Afolayan had applied for the court to temper justice with mercy, saying that Aminu had been in prison for the past seven years.

Afolayan however, applied for the court to put same into consideration while sentencing, adding that he was a first-time offender.

According to reports that the prosecuting counsel, Chelsea Emezina told the court that Aminu and one Awodu Elizabeth at large trespassed the premises of Reverend Philemon Bulus at Durumi, Abuja on October 8, 2017.

Emezina said Aminu and Elizabeth forcefully broke the car glasses of the Reverend and attempted to rob him and his family members at their residence while armed with a knife.

She said that Aminu voluntarily stabbed the Reverend multiple times with a knife at his residence and got arrested by the Reverend’s brother, David Dauda on the said date.

The offence,  she said contravened the provisions of sections 348, 327 and 248 of the Penal Code.

It also contravened Section 2(2) A&B of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act.