A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has remanded two men who allegedly broke into the Ikoyi, Lagos home of a federal judge and carted away dollars and naira among other properties at gunpoint in the Ikoyi Correctional Centre.
Justice Ayokunle Faji on Tuesday remanded Friday Eze, 34, and Anuoluwa Adeware, 35, and two of their alleged accomplices, Rasaq Bolaji, 50, and Beatrice Elom, 55, following their arraignment by the police on a 15-count charge bordering on the offences.
The defendants had pleaded not guilty while the police counsel J.I. Eboseremen, prayed for a trial date and the remand order.
Defence counsel Sodiq Sulaimon, who did not oppose the remand application, informed the judge that he would file bail applications for the defendants.
Ruling, Justice Faji directed the parties to file written addresses to convince him that the Federal High Court had jurisdiction to hear the case and adjourned till September 28.
According to the charge sheet, Eze, 34, and Adeware, 35, alongside one Monday Uvi and others at large, allegedly robbed the judge on February 22, 2020, while armed with a Beretta Pistol, a cutlass and a cudgel.
They dispossessed the judge of $1,000, N250, 000, four wristwatches, a 50-inch LG television, two shirts and two pairs of cover shoes from the judge’s home.
The court heard that the gang also robbed one Odunlami family, one Montego Oil Company, one Dr Matthias Kelvin and Olukemi Kelvin, and one Damilola Akinwale, in different operations.
They were accused of invading the Odunlamis’ home at Parkview Estate, Ikoyi on January 14, 2020, dispossessing the couple, at gunpoint, of two Samsung phones, one LG phone, two wristwatches, all valued at N1.5m, gold jewellery, valued at N60m; and cash sums of £680,000, $50,000 and N306, 000.
In another operation on January 27, 2020, the gang allegedly broke into the office of Montego Oil in lkoyi and made away with a Levono Think Pad laptop valued at N589,000; one HP laptop valued at N128,000; and one TB external drive, worth N15,000.
Also, on March 6, 2020, they allegedly invaded the home of Dr Matthias Kelvin in Ikoyi, robbing him of two iPhones, one iPad, two Infinix mobile phones, one HP probook laptop, two laptop chargers and a Boss wristwatch, while Olukemi Kelvin was robbed of one iPhone, worth N400,000; one Infinix mobile phone valued at N50,000, one iPhone 8 valued at N800,000, one iPad mini 2018, valued at N400,000; a Samsung sound system valued at N1m; as well as jewellery, wristwatch and necklace valued at N900,000.
Similarly, in a March 6, 2020 operation, the gang swooped on one Damilola Akinwale on Alexander Road, Ikoyi, dispossessing her of one iPhone 11 pro max valued at N550,000, a Samsung phone valued at N250,000 and a cash sum of N100,000.
The police further alleged that third defendant Bolaji, conveyed Eze and Adeware in a green Honda Accord to the sites of the operations and back to their different houses.
Fourth defendant Elom was accused of receiving N2.4m “being proceeds from armed robbery operations” from Eze, “a person you knew or had reason to know that he did not have means.”
The prosecution said the defendants acted contrary to and were liable to punishment under Section 1(2)(a) and (b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act, 2004.
