Bus driver to die by hanging for robbery , kidnapping

AN Effurun High Court in Delta State
has sentenced a 43 -year -old bus
driver , Peter Onwusiribekan to death by
hanging for robbing a female nurse of
her car .
The accused is from Mbanor Local
Government Area of Imo State while
the female nurse ( name withheld )
works at Ekpan General Hospital who
regained her freedom along the
Orerokpe Eku road where she was later
found .
The incidence happened within the
Ekpan General Hospital , Ekpan, when
the Nurse was about driving out of the
Hospital premises having closed from
duty
The court found him guilty of the three
count charge of conspiracy to commit
armed robbery , the substantive offence
of armed robbery which is a capital
offence and kidnapping and was
sentenced to death on count two while
he got two years imprisonment for
count one and five years on count
three respectively .
The accused and two others now at
large on or about the 5 th day of
December , 2011 kidnapped the nurse,
held her for three days before she was
released . It could not be ascertained if
any ransom was however paid before
she regained freedom .
Prosecution from the Delta State
Ministry of Justice had told the Court
that the accused with his gang
members now on the run also robbed
the nurse of her Toyota Corolla Salon
car while armed with guns .
“ I was about driving out of the
premises when suddenly , the two men
came from nowhere and pointed guns
at me, pushed me to the back seat
and drove off to an unknown
destination ” the nurse recounted in her
evidence.
The accused was arrested in
possession of the robbed car by a
Special Anti-Robbery Squad during a
routine stop and search operation
along the Ughelli PortHarcourt
Highway , two days after the robbery
operation .
The accused was unable to give
satisfactory explanations on how he
came in possession of the robbed car .
“ I do not have discretion in respect of
count two ( armed robbery ) as the Law
is certain . I hereby sentence you to
death by hanging on the neck until you
be dead . May God have mercy on your
soul ” The Court held .
The court in its judgment relied on
doctrine of recent possession which
states that any person found in
possession of any recent stolen
property is presumed to be the thief
except was able to give cogent and
reasonable explanations.