The Ekiti State High Court in Ado-Ekiti has sentenced 37-year-old Tunde Kazeem to death by hanging for armed robbery. Justice Lekan Olatawura delivered the judgment on Monday, July 27, 2026, after finding Kazeem guilty on all five counts of armed robbery.
Kazeem was arraigned on June 16, 2025, for an attack that occurred on October 2, 2024, at the Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti (BOUESTI). The charge stated that he robbed five students—Adewale Moyinoluwa, Ogunbolude Oluwanifemi, Ojo Oluwamayowa, Sidiq Simbiat, and Oloruntoba Nifemi—of phones worth N680,000.
Details of the Robbery
The stolen devices included an Infinix Smart 7, an Itel A04, an Infinix Smart 6, a Samsung Galaxy S6, and a Tecno Pop 8. The prosecution argued that Kazeem committed the robbery while armed with a gun, an offense under Section 312(2)(a) of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
During the trial, victim Adewale Moyinoluwa testified about the night of the incident. "My roommates and I were in our room around 9:10 p.m. when we heard a knock on the door. One of us went to open it and immediately, a man wearing a lemon shirt and blue denim shorts entered. He was holding a double-barrel pistol. He ordered us to submit our phones. We thought it was a joke until he dipped his hand into his pocket, brought out cartridges and started loading the gun. He then pointed it at us," she recounted.
Prosecution and Defense
"We submitted all our phones and he packed them. He told us to lock the door behind him and not to shout. But when he left, we started shouting," she added. To bolster its case, the prosecution counsel, Salem Bade-Gboyega, called seven witnesses and presented exhibits, including the defendant's confessional statements, a lemon-green hoodie cardigan, ATM cards, and a search warrant.
The defendant testified in his own defense through his counsel, Amir Salami. He called no witnesses but appealed to the court to temper justice with mercy. Justice Olatawura, however, noted that the law left no discretion for leniency in armed robbery cases, emphasizing that Kazeem showed no remorse throughout the trial.
Judgment and Sentence
"I am unable to exercise any discretion in favor of a defendant who showed no remorse throughout his trial. The punishment for armed robbery is one of strict application," the judge stated. "Consequent upon the foregoing, I find the defendant guilty on all counts. Accordingly, the sentence of this court upon you is that you be hanged by the neck until you are dead. May God have mercy on your soul."
The sentence underscores the stringent stance of Ekiti State law on armed robbery, which mandates the death penalty for offenders convicted under Section 312(2)(a). The case has drawn attention to security concerns on campus, with the victims' ordeal highlighting the vulnerability of students to such attacks.
