Crime

Couple to Die By Hanging In Osun for Murder, Armed Robbery

Published

8 years ago

December 14, 2016

By Abdulrofiu Agboola, Osogbo

An Osun state High court sitting in Ile-Ife on Wednesday sentenced a couple, Mr. Fatai Jimoh and his wife Lateefat to death by hanging.

The convicts were arraigned on June 2, 2014 on three count-charge of murder, armed robbery and conspiracy.

According to the charge sheet, the convicts conspired to murder a local businesses woman, Mrs Bukola Taiwo after they had robbed her at Ikeketu village via Garage Olode in Ife South Local Government of Osun State, on August 12, 2009.

The charge sheet stated that Jimoh and his wife snuck into Taiwo’s room where she normally slept whenever she came to the village to buy palm oil and strangulated her while sleeping.

Mrs Jimoh, according to the charge sheet, used a sledge hammer to smash the forehead of the deceased while her husband was strangulating her.

The couple took away the deceased’s local wallet which contained the sum of N48,780 after killing her.

It was learnt that Taiwo (deceased) bought 70 kegs of palm oil and kept them in the apartment of Fatai who use to help her to convey the goods to Ibadan.

Jimoh was said to have broken into the room where the palm oil was kept and sold 48kegs leaving 22kegs behind.

The deceased reported the case to the police and Jimoh was invited for questioning. He promised to refund the money generated from the sales of the stolen 48 kegs of palm oil.

Prosecuting counsel, from from the Osun State Ministry of justice, Mr Moses Faremi called four witnesses which included one police inspector, pathologist from University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, the Baale of Ikeketu and the neighbour who witnessed the incident.

An octogenarian who was one of the witnesses, Pa Atilola Jimoh told the court that he was sitting in front of his house listening to radio when he heard a noise from Jimoh’s house which attracted his attention.

He said the convicts refused to open the door until he alerted some neighbours who forced the door open and found Mrs Bukola in the pool of her own blood gasping for breath.

Faremi also submitted before the court that the pathologist who conducted autopsy on the deceased said the injury was intentionally inflicted on her and the head injury does not bear the semblance of a self inflicted injury.

The convicts in their confessional statement made at police station stated that they broke into the room where the deceased kept kegs of palm oil and sell some of it and promised to returned it before the incident occurred.

President judge, Justice Adedotun Onibokun found the couple guilty on two counts charge of murder and armed robbery preferred against them and subsequently sentenced them to death by hanging.

Justice Onibokun said: “The evidence of the prosecutor are cogent,reliable and credible. The accused are found guilty of murder and armed robbery; I hereby sentence them to death by hanging for murder and armed-robbery while they are discharge for conspiracy.”