Follow Us on Google
From Lateef Dada Osogbo
Justice Fatimah Sodamade of the Osun State High Court, Iwo has sentenced three men: Muideen Tunji, Yusuf Muslim and Rabiu Fatai, to death by hanging for their involvement in a murder case.
The defendants were arraigned on January 31, 2022, facing charges of conspiracy, murder and unlawful possession of human parts, violations of Sections 324, 319(a), and 329A(1) of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume 2, Laws of Osun State, 2002.
They all pleaded not guilty to the allegations pressed against them.
During the trial, Barrister Dele Akintayo, who led the prosecution from the Ministry of Justice, narrated the events leading up to the murder of Asiata Yekeen.
He explained that Tunji had invited Yekeen to his residence in Ile-Ogbo under the pretence of repaying a debt.
“Upon her arrival, she was confronted by Muslim and Fatai, whereupon the three men allegedly strangled her, dismembered her body, and buried the remains in a shallow grave behind Tunji’s house.
“Concerns about Yekeen’s disappearance prompted a report to the police and the Amotekun Corps by individuals named Suleiman Akorede and Yekini Suleiman after attempts to contact her failed. Eyewitnesses confirmed seeing Yekeen enter Tunji’s home, which led to the involvement of security forces.”
According to the court proceedings, Tunji fled after realizing that security operatives were conducting searches for him, subsequently hiding at the residences of Muslim and Fatai while reportedly carrying human body parts of the deceased.
The defense team, comprising J.D. Olaniyan, Adesina Olaniyan, and Bayo Alade, argued that the evidence presented by the prosecution consisted of hearsay and requested its dismissal.
The prosecution, however, called six witnesses and presented 13 exhibits, including the confessional statements of the defendants.
In her ruling, Justice Sodamade held that the prosecution had established its case beyond reasonable doubt, resulting in guilty verdicts on all charges.
The court thereby sentenced the convicts to four years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit murder, death by hanging for murder, and five years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of human parts.
