FOUR PERSONS TO DIE BY HANGING FOR KILLING A BROTHEL OWNER IN ADO EKITI

Justice Oluwatoyin Abodunde of an Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti, on Monday, convicted and sentenced four accused persons to death by hanging for the murder of a brothel owner, Samuel Oloyede.

The accused were identified as a 37 years old female named Rashidat Abdul, 32 years old male, Oluwatosin Akarakiri, Abdulrasheed Mutairu (m) 22, and Iyoriochile Eromoina (f) 18.

It was gathered from the charge sheet that the act was committed on the 5th of April, 2017 at Odo Owa Ekiti, in Ijero Local Government Area of Ekiti State when the four accused persons conspired to murder late Samuel Oloyede who runs a brothel in his house.

According to the witness, the accused and the deceased had a misunderstanding over money.  The deceased later went missing for days before he was found dead on the fourth day covered in cloths with his hands tied to the back.

The prosecutor, Oluwatoyin Marqus, said the offense contravenes the Section 516A and 316 of the Criminal Code, Cap.C16, laws of Ekiti State of Nigeria 2012 calling out 12 witnesses including the IPO and the medical personnel to show the necessary postmortem examination done on the deceased while other exhibits including statements of the accused, statements of the witnesses, photographs of the deceased dead body and medical report were tendered.

The accused through their defense lawyer, Chris Omokhafe, maintained that his clients were not guilty but he had no witness to back up his claim.

On delivering the judgment, 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”.