JOS – The Jos High Court on Friday sentenced 35 year old David Habila to 21 years imprisonment for armed robbery. Habila stood trial for attacking and robbing one Dr Jasper Faya of Sabon Barki area of Jos South Local Government of Plateau of valuables on Dec. 23, 2008. Mr Justice C.L. Dabup sentenced Habila to 21 years imprisonment without an option of fine. Dabup said that the court was convinced that the accused committed the offence of robbery as proved by the prosecution. He said that the evidences presented before the court by the prosecution had convinced the court beyond reasonable doubt that the accused was guilty of the offence. Reviewing the proceeding before judgment, Dabup said that the prosecution was able to prove that Habila attacked his victim at his residence in Sabon Barki at 9:30 pm on the fateful day with a stick and knife. He said that following the attack the accused made away with his victims laptop, video camera, a sum of N2, 000 and a Nokia E-66 handset. Relying on the police First Information Report (FIR), he said that the accused was traced to his residence five days later through a phone call placed through the stolen phone. “One of the staff working in the victim’s company, Ruth called the line with her own phone and the accused answered upon which she made an appointment to meet with him. “In the process, he scheduled an appointment with her, giving his location which was passed to the police. “When apprehended at the address by the police, the accused claimed to have bought the phone off somebody but was unable to produce the receipt,’’ he said. The judge pointed out that all the evidences pointed to him, and accordingly found him guilty of the offence under Section 1(2a) of the criminal code under the Robbery and Firearms Act. However, in sentencing him, the Judge took cognisance of the six years already spent in detention following the plea of his counsel, Mr D.M. Kolo. He therefore reduced the actual period to be spent in jail to 15 years. (NAN)
