Two brothers, Shola and Kayode Oni and one other person, are to die by hanging for the murder of one Suleiman Afolabi during a fight on Christmas day in 2012. Also to be hanged to death alongside the two siblings is Ibrahim Omilade, the son of a traditional ruler in Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos State, Chief Bashiru Omilade.
The incident happened at Eyin Ogun Street, Mafoluku, Oshodi, in Lagos State when Suleiman received several machete cut which led to his death.
The accused person were found guilty for the death of the deceased by Justice Kudirat Jose of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja.
Justice Jose found the condemned persons guilty of the charges conspiracy and murder preferred against them by the prosecution team, Mr. Babatunde Oguntemowo and Mr. Olarewaju Ajanaku.
Justice Jose said in her judgment, “I pronounce the defendants guilty as charged in respect of the offence of murder and conspiracy and are hereby sentenced to death by hanging by the neck until their death.”
The trial judge, however, cautioned youths to learn from the ordeal that befell the convicts emphasizing that young ones should be careful of going about to attack people to settle scores.
Trouble began for the convicts when four years ago they were invited by a neighbor to celebrate the Christmas with him.
They said they were in the apartment of their host when a young boy came in and informed them that a brother to the deceased, Akeem Afolabi, had threatened to deal with them.
During trial, the convicts had told the court that they went to inquire the reason for the threat but that while discussing, Akeem ordered them to get away.
They claimed in their defence that Akeem had gone inside the house to get a machete with which he tried to attack one of them but that the attack was blocked by another person whose hand was injured in the process.
The convicts claimed that it was while they were trying to dodge Akeem who was wielding a machete and coming after them that the deceased received machete cuts in the waist region.
They said they got to know some days later that a doctor had pronounced the deceased dead.
But the trial judge faulted their testimony pointing out that it sounded rehearsed and polished.
The judge said she found the evidence presented by the prosecution witnesses led by their counsels, Messrs. Oguntemowo and Ajanaku more credible.
She subsequently jailed the convicts 12 years for the offence of conspiracy, starting from the day of arrest, and death by hanging for the offence of murder.
[The Nation]
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