Traditional ruler’s son, brothers sentenced to death by hanging for murder

SON of a traditional ruler in Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos State, Ibrahim Omilade, was on Tuesday sentenced to death by hanging by an Ikeja High Court for murder.

Also sentenced to death by hanging for the same crime are two brothers, Shola and Kayode Oni.

Justice Kudirat Jose pronounced death sentence on the three young men after she found them guilty of the conspiracy and murder of one Suleiman Afolabi, during a fight on a Christmas day in 2012 at Eyin Ogun Street, Mafoluku, Oshodi.

Suleiman was hacked to death with a machete.

Delivering her judgement, Justice Jose said, “I pronounce the defendants guilty in respect of the charge of murder and conspiracy shall be sentenced to death, hanged by the neck until their death.”

She however cautioned youths to learn from the ordeal that befell the convicts, noting that young ones should be careful of going about to attack people to settle scores.

Trouble began for the trio on December 25, 2012, during a fight at the deceased’s house where they were invited by a neighbour to celebrate the Christmas with him.

According to the trio, while they were celebrating, a young boy came in and informed them that the deceased brother, Akeem Afolabi, had threatened to deal with them.

They claimed that they went to inquire the reason for the threat, but while discussing, Akeem ordered them to get away.

He was alleged to have gone inside the house to get a cutlass with which he tried to attack one of them, an attempt, they said one of them tried blocked with his hand and got injured.

The convicts further narrated to the court during trial that it was while they were trying to dodge and plead with a berserk Akeem that Suleiman, a younger brother to the deceased, was hit by the waist.

They said they got to know some days later that a doctor had pronounced the deceased dead.

But the judge said their testimony before the court sounded rehearsed and polished, hence, she relied on the evidence before the court presented by both the prosecution counsel, Mr Babatunde Owo, and Mr Olarewaju Ajanaku, as well as points of law to pass judgement of death for the murder and 12 years for conspiracy counting from the day there were arrested.