The three convicts
- To die by hanging or firing squad
By Banji Ayoola
An Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure on Friday sentenced to death three out of the four-man gang who killed Olufunke Olakuonri, daughter of Afenifere Leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti.
The three, including Mohammed Shehu Usman, Lawal Mazaje and Adamu Adamu, are to die by hanging or firing squad.
They were sentenced to death for the 2019 murder of a daughter of the leader of the Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural body, three years after the murder.
The three suspects were convicted by Justice Williams Olamide for conspiracy to murder, kidnapping and armed robbery.
However, the court discharged and acquitted the fourth defendant, Auwalu Abubakar, 25, who was on trial for aiding and abetting the crime, was discharged and acquitted by the trial judge, Justice William Olamide.
They were tried at the court on eight counts bordering on conspiracy, kidnapping, murder, armed robbery, unlawful possession of firearms and aiding and abetting.
Justice Olamide, who delivered the judgement, on Friday morning, found the trio guilty after they conspired together to commit the armed robbery that led to the murder of Mrs Olakunori.
He gave his final judgement, which spanned more than two hours, after taking appearances of the prosecution counsel and Ondo State Attorney General, Charles Titiloye Esq; and the defence counsel, Obafemi Bawa.
The judge held that the prosecution proved its case beyond any reasonable doubt. He had reserved the judgement for Friday after listening to submissions and adopted the final written addresses from the prosecution and the defence counsel.
The judgement came three years after the killing and trial of the arrested suspects by government.
Mrs Olakunori was travelling from Akure to Lagos after visiting her father in his Akure, Ondo State capital home, when the gunmen struck and killed her on the Ore federal highway on July 12, 2019.
Her gruesome death had attracted a wide range of condemnation from Nigerians, including political and social groups.
The woman, who was shot dead by the gunmen in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, was buried few weeks after her gruesome murder.
Her driver, Femi Ajayi, was kidnapped and later freed after spending seven days in the kidnapper’s den.
Ondo State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Sir Charles Titiloye, had preferred eight count charges against the four suspects bodering on murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, aiding and abetting.
The culprits however pleaded not guilty to the eight charge counts preferred against them.
They said they were not part of the kidnapping gang that killed Mrs Olakunori and accused the police of extracting false evidence against them.
Usman said he was arrested while on transit to Ondo State from Agbor in Delta State.
He said N500,000 cash and expired drivers’ license were found on him and that he was charged because he could not provide the bribe allegedly demanded by the police.
Lawal claimed he was arrested by the police because he followed Usman to the police station to help translate Hausa language.
He denied complicity in the murder of the Afenifere leader’s daughter.
But Justice Williams Olamide, who held that evidences of the suspects were afterthought to escape the wrath of the law, ruled that the prosecution was able to prove the case of conspiracy to murder, kidnapping, armed robbery and aiding and abetting against the three convicts.
He consequently convicted them on the eight count charges preferred against them.
Justice Olamide ruled that the convicts are to die either by hanging or by firing squad for the offence of murder and sentenced them to life imprisonment for the offence of kidnapping.
He commiserated with the family of the victim and asked the government to urgently do something about cases of rape, kidnapping and murder.
The convicts were also said to have been involved in the attack and killing of one Matthew Ogunbiyi, a hunter in the forest while they also took hostage a German-Nigerian who was released after payment of ransom.
The police had also alleged that the suspects had also kidnapped one Gerald Igboayaka, the same day Funke Olakunri was murdered along Ore/ ljebu Ode Expressway on July 12th, 2019.
Read also:
