Outrage as Lagos court sentences vulcaniser to death for stealing N57,000

A special offences court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos has sentenced Chidozie Onyinchiz, a 32-year-old vulcaniser, to death by hanging for robbing a nurse of N57,000.

According to NAN, Mojisola Dada, the trial judge, on Tuesday, found Onyinchiz guilty of the three-count charge of conspiracy, armed robbery, and membership of an unlawful society.

During the trial, Afolake Onayinka, the state prosecutor, told the court that Onyinchiz committed the crime with an accomplice still at large on August 12, 2018.

Onayinka said Veronica Uwayzor, the complainant, ran into a white garment church at Alimosho LGA after she was robbed.

The state prosecutor argued that the offences contravened the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2015.

Delivering the verdict, the judge ruled that the defendant admitted to committing the crimes levelled against him.

“The defendant had stated that the complainant pointed at him as one of the boys armed with a pair of scissors and forcefully snatched her bag containing N57,000 at Akesan bus stop,” NAN quoted the trial judge.

“The complainant had stated that neither the defendant nor his accomplice, Ediri Endurance, (still at large) wore masks which made it possible for her to easily recognise Onyinchiz, a few hours after the robbery.

“The first statement of the defendant which he made at Igando police station confirmed that he and Ediri went to Akesan bus stop on the day of the robbery.

“Onyinchiz admitted to belonging to an unlawful society as he stated that: ‘this is my first time of coming to Akesan to steal. I was initiated into Eiye Confraternity in 2009 but I have not killed before’.

“The same information of him being a vulcaniser was also contained in the statement he made at Igando police station and the one he made at the special anti-robbery squad office at Ikeja.

“In his confessional statement, Onyinchiz stated that he met Ediri Endurance on a public bus and Endurance took him to his father’s house after the bus developed a fault.

“He also stated that they ended up sleeping in an uncompleted building because Endurance’s father did not open the door for them to spend the night in his house.

“The statement corroborated the submission of the victim that she was accosted at about 4.30 a.m by two boys holding an iron rod and a pair of scissors on the day of the incident.

“She said the two boys were the ones who robbed her.

“The totality of the evidence before the court is compelling and I find the defendant guilty of the charges preferred against him.

“He is hereby sentenced to death by hanging and may God have mercy on his soul.’’

The court ruling has elicited reactions on social media as many Nigerians argued that the magnitude of the punishment is not on the same level as the crime committed.

BELOW ARE SOME OF THE COMMENTS: 

I disagree with the Judge .

This is a wrong judgment and it will not stand .

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How can a judge sentenced a Vulcaniser to death by hanging for stealing N57,000.

What then happened to politicians stealing billions of naira. pic.twitter.com/JeSheR2zK9

— OSSAI OVIE SUCCESS (@ossaiovie) January 17, 2023

The said vulcaniser robbed a lady of her money. That money could have been a loan or meant for a child or anyone in need, at the hospital….
He had his day in Court – what we call fair hearing. If he is not satisfied with the judgement, he can file a Notice of Appeal.

— Savn Daniel (@savndaniel) January 18, 2023

This judgement should be applicable across strata. You can't sentence a vulcaniser to death by hanging for stealing from one person and give another person a few years for robbing 200 million people. The latter should attract death by firing squad and caging of the grave for life https://t.co/AyVVcWh3Po

— Abiodun Buari (@profbiodun) January 17, 2023

https://twitter.com/_Sugarr_Lady/status/1615451789892935695?t=z1yQE0fkUWNL51cEvc2PMQ&s=19

https://twitter.com/Egi_nupe_/status/1615601379959271424?t=IYQg_T6nLVCEgQ1tV_kBpg&s=19

A man (Chidozie Onyinchiz) was reportedly sentenced to death by Justice Dada for robbing a nurse of N57k; The man deserves to be punished but the death sentence is extreme. Many found guilty of worse were sent to prison, so why is he being killed? Section 390 states otherwise.

— Daniel Regha (@DanielRegha) January 17, 2023