Court remands 3 allegedly accused of car snatching, armed robbery in prison

A Lokoja Chief Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday remanded three persons allegedly accused of snatching a Toyota Camry car from a family at gun-point and robbing them of their belongings.

The accused, Babalola Taiwo, 27, a public servant, Aijeniko Paul, 21, student and Samson Kolawole, 43, a businessman were remanded at the Koton-Karfe Prisons on the orders of the court.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Levi Animoku, who gave the order on arraignment of the accused said that the offence of armed robbery preferred against them was a serious social vice that had permeated the society.

“I have considered the application for the bail of the accused persons. Bail is not granted as a matter of course irrespective of the presumption of innocence, which in itself is not absolute."

“The pledge by the accused persons through their counsel to stand their trial notwithstanding, I am not convinced to release them to bail. Consequently, bail is refused."

“The accused persons shall be remanded at the Federal Prisons, Koton-Karfe,’’ he ordered and adjourned the case until March 14, for mention.

Earlier, the Prosecuting Police Officer, Sgt. Tuesday Ganagana told the court that the case was reported on December 10, 2016 at the ‘D’ Division Police Headquarters, Lokoja by the victim, Kadiri Mikadu of opposite Lokongoma Cemetery, Lokoja.

Ganagana said Mikadu had reported that while he was returning from Workers’ Village with his wife, Aishat in his Toyota Camry Muzzle car with registration number LKJ 303 MA, the accused emerged from nowhere and accosted him at the gate of his house.

Ganagana said that while the complainant’s son was trying to open the gate for his parents to drive in, the three accused persons, armed with dangerous weapons including guns, violently stopped him.

He added that the accused ordered him and his wife to come out of the vehicle and they did, while the accued immediately took possession of the car.

Ganagana said that the accused robbed them of their cell phones, one Nokia and two Itel phones, driving license, original vehicle particulars, office Identity Card, ATM card, 10 sets of clothes and a wrist watch a gun-point.

The accused were charged with Criminal Conspiracy and Armed Robbery contrary to Sections 97 (1) and 298(c) of the Penal Code.

Their counsel, Ayo Jonathan applied for their bail, citing Section 36(5) of the constitution and 341(2,3) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) on presumption of innocence.

He assured that the accused persons would be produced in court to face justice if granted bail.