Robbery: Court remands 20-year-old lady, others

A 20-year-old woman, Alice Ogana, and two others, Sunday Lukpata, and Friday Ulakon, have been remanded in the Ikoyi Prison after their arraignment for armed robbery.
The three defendants were arraigned before an Ebute Meta Magistrate’s Court on four counts of armed robbery and assault.
The police told the court on Thursday that the suspects robbed one Folake George of assorted gold jewellery valued at N6.8m; two Ipads, two BlackBerry phones, Samsung phones and N100,000 cash.
They were also said to have hit one Dele Aremu on the head with a pair of shears scissors when he challenged them during the operation.
The investigating police officer, Uwalaka Nichodemous, said the incident happened at Olabanji Olajide Street, Lekki Phase One, Lagos State.
The police stated that the robbery gang was armed with gardener scissors and “other offensive weapons.”
Nichodemus said the suspects were arrested at Alapere, Ketu area of the state.
Upon their arrest, they reportedly confessed to have sold the gold jewellery to one Barki Seidu, who was also arrested.
One Ikade Clement, was said to have failed to report the robbers to the police and was also arrested.
Clement and Seidu were arraigned along with the alleged armed robbers, each on a single count of negligence and receiving respectively.
The charges read in part, “That you, Alice Ogana, Sunday Lukpata, Friday Ulakon, and others now at large, on September 30, 2013 at 8.50pm, at Olabanji Olajide Street, Lekki Phase One, Lagos in the Lagos Magisterial District, whilst armed with gardener scissors and other offensive weapons did rob one Folake George of assorted gold jewellery, valued at N6,800,000, two Ipads valued at N105,000, two BlackBerry phones valued at N100,000, two wrist , watches valued at N120,000, and cash sum of N100,000 only, total valued at N7,485,000.”
The police prosecutor, Clement Okoimose, said the offences were punishable under Sections 297, 295, 228, 171, 326 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.
The suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The magistrate, Mr. O.O Olatunji, said since the charge before the court was armed robbery, which is punishable by death according to Section 297 of the Law,  bail application by the suspects would be rejected.
He ordered that Ogana, Lukpata and Ulakon be remanded in prison for armed robbery, while the other defendants- Clement and Seidu- be admitted to bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties each in like sum.
The matter was adjourned till January 17, 2014.