Ahmed Musa sentenced to 14 years imprisonment

<p><strong>Justice Yetunde Adesanya of a Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square&comma; on Wednesday sentenced two men&comma; <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng">Ahmed Musa<&sol;a> and Oluwole Sunday&comma; to 14 years imprisonment each&comma; for robbery&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The convicts were convicted and sentenced after they pleaded guilty under a plea bargain agreement&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Musa and Sunday were initially arraigned on Feb&period; 15&comma; 2018&comma; before the court on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit robbery and armed robbery&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>They had pleaded not guilty&comma; and were remanded&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Their trial began on May 30&comma; 2018&period; They later entered into a plea bargain agreement with prosecution&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h1><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;5-trapped-as-another-building-collapses-in-lagos&sol;"><span style&equals;"color&colon; &num;ff9900&semi;">Many Trapped As Another Building Collapses In Lagos<&sol;span><&sol;a><&sol;h1>&NewLine;<p>In her judgment&comma; Adesanya held that the sentence was in line with Section 76 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State&comma; 2011&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The court has ascertained from the defendants that they entered into the plea bargain agreement on their own free volition&comma; free from any coercion&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I have observed that the prosecution and the defence agreed on the 14-year term&comma;” she said&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The judge&comma; however&comma; held that the court was not bound by the terms of the agreement&comma; but had the power to increase or reduce the sentence term&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The defendants pleaded guilty to a further amended charge of robbery punishable under Section 297 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State&comma; 2015&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The defendants are fully competent to answer to their plea&comma; they understand the charge and that the court was not bound to the plea bargain&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Ahmed Musa&comma; Oluwole Sunday&comma; in view of your plea&comma; I hereby convict you as charged&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;You are both sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment each&comma; starting from Oct&period; 14&comma; 2016&comma;” the judge held&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;