The Kwara State High Court, sitting in Ilorin, on Monday, convicted and sentenced a three-man armed robbery gang to death by hanging for the offenses of armed robbery and possession of firearms.

The trio was brought before Justice M.O. Folorunso for the crime committed on March 2, 2024, at the Oko Erin area in Ilorin, the state capital, at about 6:00 a.m. They were confirmed to have robbed their victim of his Infinix Note 11 phone, using a gun.

Justice M.O. Folorunso, who was reportedly emotional while passing the sentence, wept before ordering: "The three of you be hanged by the neck until you die."

In a separate development, the judge also discharged and acquitted two young women, including a pregnant mother, who were arraigned over a four-count charge.

Their offence included: unlawful possession of firearms, aiding and abetting, kidnapping and criminal conspiracy.

The accused, Aisha Haruna and Rabi Umar, were arrested by men of the Police anti-kidnapping squad on June 25, 2025, in Babanla community, Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state, in a vehicle.

Other suspects in the vehicle were said to have fled the scene, while the police said they found an AK-47 rifle and 31 live ammunition with one of the women.

The prosecution, led by the Senior State Counsel in the Ministry of Justice, I. B.Olorundare, told the court that the women were intercepted by the police and members of the local vigilante team at about 5:00 pm in a vehicle carrying some young women with suspicious movement.

Delivering his judgement that lasted over an hour, Justice M.O. Folorunso said the prosecution failed to prove the allegations against the women.

According to the court, evidence from police witnesses was contradictory.

Justice Folorunso, who said that the defendant admitted that one English rifle was found in her bag during the search by the police, added that the evidence of the police witness did not clearly state whether the weapon was an AK-47 or an AK-49.

He also held that the prosecution did not prove that there was evidence to commit an illegal act by the women.

The judge thereafter discharged and acquitted them.

He further directed their counsels to provide them with transportation fare to their respective places in Kaduna and Kanmbi community, Moro Local Government Area.

This comes months after a High Court in Plateau State sentenced Emmanuel Ude, a former student of Government Technical College, Bukuru, to death by hanging for the 2021 killing of his teacher, Mr. Job Dashe.

Justice Silas Bakfur delivered the judgment on Monday after finding Ude guilty of culpable homicide under Sections 221 and 222 of the Plateau State Penal Code, which prescribe the death penalty for the offence.

The incident occurred in July 2021 when Ude, then a student at the technical college in Jos South Local Government Area, was confronted by Mr. Dashe, who was serving as Duty Master.