Akinwaale Akintunde
Justice Kudirat Jose of an Ikeja High Court yesterday sentenced to death by hanging, two brothers, Shola Oni and Kayode Oni, alongside the son of a traditional ruler in Mafoluku, Oshodi in Lagos State, Ibrahim Omilade.
The trio were convicted after being found guilty of conspiracy and murder of one Suleiman Afolabi during a fight on Christmas day in 2012 at Eyin Ogun Street, Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos State when Suleiman was cut with a machete.
According to the convicts, trouble began for the trio on December 25, 2012 during a fight at the deceased house when they were invited by a neighbour to celebrate the Christmas with him.
They said it was not too long on the said date that a young boy came in and informed them that the deceased brother, Akeem Afolabi, had threatened to deal with them.
They claimed that they went to inquire the reason for the threat but while discussing, Akeem ordered them to get away. He was alleged to have gone inside the house to get a machete with which he tried to attack one of them, and in the process, they claimed one of them got a cut while blocking the machete with his hand.
The convicts further narrated to the court during the trial that it was while they were trying to dodge and plead with a berserk Akeem that his younger brother and the deceased, Suleiman, was hit on the waist leading to his death.
They said they got to know some days later that a doctor had pronounced Suleiman dead.
But the trial judge, Justice Jose said their testimony sounded rehearsed and polished, hence she relied on the evidence before the court as presented by both the prosecution counsel, Mr. Babatunde Oguntemowo and Mr. Olarewaju Ajanaku, as well as points of law to pass judgement of death for the murder and 12 years for conspiracy counting from the day there were arrested.
Justice Jose said: “I pronounce the defendants guilty in respect of the charge of murder and conspiracy…, shall be sentenced to death, hanged by the neck until their death.”
