By Fatai Kasali
An Ikeja Special Offences Court on Tuesday discharged and acquitted a man, Opeyemi Oladele, charged with robbing a woman of her cell phone at gunpoint.
Justice Mojisola Dada, while delivering the judgment, held that the prosecution failed to prove the 2-count charge of conspiracy to commit robbery and armed robbery against the defendant.
Dada said the prosecution submitted that the defendant was in possession of a locally made single barrel gun but such was not tendered as an exhibit before the court.
“The alleged victim was never produced as a witness in spite of being listed as number one on the prosecution witness list.
“The court has evaluated the evidence and found that the charge leveled against this defendant cannot stand.
“This defendant is hereby discharged and acquitted.”
The state counsel, Mrs Abiodun Oluwatoni, alleged that the defendant, with two others still at large, committed the offences on June 12, 2018, at about 10:00 p.m. on Anibaba Street, Alaper, Lagos.
According to the prosecution, the complainant raised alarm and the police on patrol caught the defendant while the two others took to their heels.
The prosecution called two policemen to testify as witnesses in the case.
According to the prosecutor, the alleged offences violated the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.