Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
An Ekiti State High Court in Ado Ekiti has sentenced a 26-year-old man, Dele Ojo to death by hanging.
Handing down the harsh verdict yesterday, Justice Abiodun Adesodun said: “The circumstances of this case don’t allow for recommendation of clemency to the governor on behalf of the accused.
“Therefore, the defendant is hereby sentenced to death by hanging. May the Lord have mercy on his soul.”
The accused was on September 13, 2018, at Iroko Ekiti in Ijero LGA of Ekiti State murdered one Ajayi Adewole, contrary to Section 319 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap.C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
During the trial, a witness, who was with the deceased when he was killed, said: “The accused had been stealing the deceased’s tubers of yam in the farm for a long time, but on that fateful day, they hid in the farm in order to catch the thief.”
He disclosed that at about 2a.m., they saw the accused carrying hunting lamp on his head, pretending to be hunting games and started uprooting the yams.
The deceased was said to have called out the thief’s name, and to evade being caught, he shot the owner of the farm at close range and ran away. Though he was rushed to Ijero Ekiti Specialist hospital, he was later confirmed dead.
To proof his case, the prosecutor, Mr. Wale Fapohunda, called four witnesses, including the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) and a medical doctor, while exhibits tendered include a Dane gun, photographs of the deceased, five tubers of yam, accused confessional statements among other documents.
The accused testified in his defence through his lawyer, Mr. Yinka Oyeleke, and called no witness.
