Supreme Court Upholds Armed Robbery Conviction

On December 12, 2025, the Supreme Court of Nigeria, comprising Justices Mohammed Lawal Garba, Tijjani Abubakar, Chioma Egondu Nwosu-Iheme, Haruna Simon Tsammani, and Jamilu Yammama Tukur, heard the appeal of Olasunkanmi Bakare. He was previously convicted by the High Court of Ogun State for conspiracy to commit armed robbery and armed robbery, with the offenses occurring on April 4, 2009, in Akute.

The trial court sentenced him to death after considering evidence from six witnesses and Bakare's confessional statements, which he later retracted. The Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal, leading to Bakare's further appeal to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court addressed two main issues: the validity of the retracted confessional statement and the proof of agreement among co-conspirators. The court found that the testimonies of the prosecution's witnesses and the confessional statements sufficiently proved Bakare's involvement in the crime.