A Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin has sentenced three men to death by hanging after finding them guilty of offences related to armed robbery and kidnapping.
Justice Funsho Lawal convicted the defendants—Patrick Afedia Adams, Tijani Usman and Ahmed Muhammad—on a four-count charge of conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping and rape, arising from an attack on a farmer and his wife at their farm in Ilorin.
The court heard that on June 15, 2025, at Kanjile village near the Kulende area, the convicts, armed with cutlasses and an axe, robbed the victims of their valuables before abducting them.
Justice Lawal held that the three men were jointly liable for conspiracy, armed robbery and kidnapping. However, Usman was separately convicted of raping the farmer’s wife.
For armed robbery, the court sentenced the convicts to life imprisonment, while they were sentenced to death by hanging for kidnapping. Usman was additionally sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for rape.
The court found that while holding the victims hostage, the convicts demanded a N5 million ransom, which was transferred into the wife’s bank account.
According to the judgment, only N4,000 had been withdrawn from the account before the suspects were arrested by the police.
Justice Lawal said the prosecution proved the rape charge beyond reasonable doubt through medical reports, corroborating evidence and the convict’s confession.
The judge informed the convicts of their right to appeal within the time allowed by law.
