A Nigerian man, Nonso Anunuobi has been sentenced to life imprisonment after a High Court sitting in Anambra State, found him guilty of conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping, and attempted murder.
TheNewsGuru reports that Justice G. C. Anulude of Anambra State High Court 1 delivered the judgment after a year-long trial that exposed the brutal assault and abduction of one, Aloysius Obidinma, of Ifitedunu in Dunukofia Local Government Area.
According to the case file (Charge No. NN/5C/2019), Anunuobi and his gang ambushed Obidinma while he was returning to Onitsha from his hometown, shot, assaulted, and kidnapped the victim, before robbing him of his car, laptop, phones, and other valuables.
They later demanded a ransom from the victim’s family.
The breakthrough in the case came when law enforcement agents tracked one of the stolen devices, eventually leading to the arrest of Anunuobi and other suspects.
During the trial, Assistant Chief State Counsel Fabian Okeke presented strong evidence linking the defendant to the crimes, reminding the court that armed robbery ordinarily carries a death sentence under Nigerian law.
“Under the law, a conviction for armed robbery ordinarily attracts a death sentence,” Okeke argued.
The defence pleaded for leniency, citing personal circumstances.
In his ruling, Justice Anulude said the court weighed both the gravity of the crime and the plea for mercy.
“While the law stipulates death for armed robbery, the peculiar circumstances and the plea for mercy influenced the decision of the court.
“The court finds the accused guilty as charged, and the cruelty of the acts committed cannot be glossed over.
“This judgment will serve as a strong deterrent to other criminally-minded elements who may wish to terrorise law-abiding citizens in the society,” the judge noted.