An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced Joshua Aminu, a refuse collector, to 10 years in prison for attempting to rob a United States diplomat in Cantonments using a toy gun.
Aminu faced two counts of attempted robbery, to which he pleaded guilty. The offence occurred on September 26, when he confronted the diplomat, demanding the surrender of his iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 8 while the victim was walking near the American Embassy enclave.
Despite pleading for leniency, the court, presided over by Mr. Jojo Hagan, convicted Aminu based on his own admission. The 10-year sentences for each count are to run concurrently. Aminu has 30 days to appeal the ruling.
According to the prosecution, the complainant, Mr. John Kiona, a US Embassy scientist and diplomat, resisted the robbery attempt. A struggle ensued, causing the toy gun to break, after which Aminu fled the scene. Security personnel responded quickly, leading to Aminu’s arrest.
A subsequent search revealed two kitchen knives in Aminu’s backpack, alongside the broken toy gun. The court emphasized that the sentence was necessary due to the widespread incidence of robbery in the country, despite Aminu’s guilty plea saving court time.
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