Four to die by hanging for killing pensioner in Ekiti

An Ekiti State high court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced four accused persons: Rashidat Abdul (f) 37, Oluwatosin Akarakiri (m) 32, Abdulrasheed Mutairu (m) 22, and Iyoriochile Eromoina (f) 18, to death by hanging for murder.

While passing the death pronouncement on the accused persons, Justice Oluwatoyin Abodunde, said: “I am persuaded that in the instant case, the prosecution has proved the ingredients of murder beyond a reasonable doubt by convincing and compelling qualitative unbroken circumstantial evidence and I so hold.

“Therefore, for causing the death of Samuel Oloyede (70), in contravention of section 316 of the Criminal Code, Cap C 16, Laws of Ekiti State, Nigeria and by the provisions of Section 301 (2)(2) of the Ekiti State of Nigeria, Criminal Justice Law, 2014, the sentence of the court upon the four accused persons, is that you be hanged by the neck until you be dead and may God have mercy on your souls”.

According to the charge sheet, the act was committed on or about 5th of April, 2017 at Odo Owa Ekiti, in Ijero Local Government Area of Ekiti State when they conspired to murder late Samuel Oloyede contrary to Section 516A and 316 of the Criminal Code, Cap.C16, laws of Ekiti State of Nigeria 2012.

They were first arraigned on February 12, 2018, when the charge was read and interpreted to them but pleaded not guilty. According to the witnesses, the deceased was a pensioner who operated a brothel in his personal house as a means of livelihood where all the accused persons also lived.

There was a misunderstanding between the deceased and accused persons on payments and sharing formula. They testified further that the accused persons vacated the premises living the deceased missing and later found his dead body on the fourth day under the heap of cloths with his hands tied.

The matter was reported at the palace and later at Ijero Police Station. To proof his case, the prosecutor, Oluwatoyin Marqus, called 12 witnesses including the IPO and the medical personnel who conducted a postmortem examination on the cause of the deceased death while exhibit tendered includes statements of the accused, statements of the witnesses, photographs of the deceased dead body and medical report.

The accused persons spoke in their own defence through their lawyer, Chris Omokhafe, and called no witness.