Court sentences three men to death by hanging for ritual killing of Osun widow

An Osun State High Court sitting in Iwo on Thursday sentenced three men to d3ath by hanging over the m8rder a 53-year-old woman, Asiata Yekeen, for money ritual in Ile-Ogbo community.

The convicts—Muideen Tunji, Yusuf Muslim and Rabiu Fatai, were found guilty of conspiracy, m8rder and unlawful possession of human parts.

LIB reported that Yekeen was reported missing after efforts to reach her failed, prompting Suleiman Akorede and Yekini Suleiman to alert the police and the Osun Amotekun Corps in Ile-Ogbo.

The three men were subsequently arrested and arraigned on three counts bordering on conspiracy, m3rder and unlawful possession of human parts, offences contrary to Sections 324, 319(a) and 329A(1) of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume 2, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.

They were first arraigned before Justice Fatimah Sodamade on January 31, 2023, in Suit No. HIW/IC/2023, and pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Presenting the facts of the case, the prosecution counsel from the Ministry of Justice, Dele Akintayo, told the court that Tunji owed the deceased some money and lured her to his residence in Ile-Ogbo under the pretext of refunding the debt.

Akintayo said when Yekeen arrived at Tunji’s house, she met Muslim and Fatai, adding that the defendants forcefully had carnal knowledge of her.

He further told the court that the defendants later strangled Yekeen to d3ath, dismembered her body, removed some vital parts and buried her remains in a shallow grave near Tunji’s residence.

According to the prosecution, residents who saw the deceased entering Tunji’s house raised an alarm when news of her disappearance spread within the community.

Akintayo also told the court that Tunji fled when he suspected that security operatives were closing in on the suspects, adding that he hid at Muslim’s residence, while Fatai kept some parts of the deceased’s body.

The prosecution called six witnesses, tendered 13 exhibits and presented the defendants’ confessional statements, urging the court to apply the full weight of the law against them

However, counsel for the defendants —J.D. Olaniyan, Adesina Olaniyan and Bayo Alade argued in their respective submissions that the evidence against their clients was largely hearsay and insufficient to secure a conviction.

Delivering judgment, Justice Sodamade held that the prosecution proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt and found the defendants guilty on all three counts.

She sentenced the convicts to four years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit m8rder, five years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of human parts, and d3ath by hanging for m8rder.