Man sentenced to death by hanging for murder in Ekiti

An Ekiti High Court has sentenced one Ismailia Mohammed Ojo to death by hanging for killing one Kareem Adu over ownership of an Hajue Motorcycle.

Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi found Mohammed guilty of a one-count charge of murder. The offence is contrary to section 316 and punishable under section 319 of the Criminal Code Law Cap C16 Law of Ekiti State 2012.

The Prosecution Witness1 (PW1), Inspector Arowosola Tunde, had reported that one Mrs. Agnes Adu rushed to the station with the complaint that her husband had been killed at Odo-Uro by Mohammed over an ownership dispute and physical tussle in respect of an Hajue motorcycle. 

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She alleged that the defendant had strangled the deceased to death. 

The incident was charged to court for prosecution upon the adduced evidence of the possible commission of the crime, given that the defendant came to the state C.I.D. to report himself in respect of the case.

This is in addition to the facts and figures arising from the separate Police’ and C.I.D’s preliminary investigations carried out by Inspectors Arowosola Tunde, Lasisi Bashiru and Adewusi Adefisayo.

According to the judgement, ”the PW2, (i.e. Inspector Lasis Bashiru, A.P. Number 237442 of the state C.I.D., Ado Ekiti, Homicide Section), said: “the Defendant confessed to the crime, that on 13/5/2018, when he was taking his bath inside a bathroom, Kareem Adu, the deceased, came to carry a motorcycle which he parked in front of his house.

The Defendant added that, after his bath, he went to the house of the deceased and met him asleep, then jerked him with his cloth on his neck till he fell unconscious.

The Defendant, however, claimed that he neither intended nor caused the deceased’s death as the duo fought without any weapon or hard object.

However, the trial Judge, Justice O.I.O. Ogunyemi, having carefully considered and weighed the evidence before the court by the Prosecution Witnesses and that of the defendant h sentenced the defendant to death by hanging.

“It is my finding that the defendant caused the death of the deceased by holding and pressing his neck and throat,” the judge said. 

“On the whole, I find the defendant guilty as charged,”

“The defendant is hereby sentenced to be hanged on the neck until you die.”