An Ekiti State High Court has sentenced a 49-year-old man, Ademola Akinola to death by hanging for killing his elder brother and taking away his motorcycle.
The charge against Ademola who was first arraigned in December 2020 for robbing and killing his elder brother, Tunde Akinola, read;
“That you, Akinola Ademola, on November 19, 2019, at Usin Ekiti, in the Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State, did rob one Tunde Akinola of his Bajaj motorcycle with registration number ADK 011 VC. At the time of the robbery, you were armed with an offensive weapon, to wit; a gun.
“On the same date, time and place, did murder the victim, Tunde Akinola”.
Anike Ogunnusi, an eyewitness who testified before the court said she and Tunde were going along a footpath on the farm when she saw somebody inside the bush pointing a gun at the deceased.
Anike said;
“I shouted, ‘Tunde, run, run, somebody is pointing a gun at you’. Then I took to my heels. While running, I heard a gunshot. I later saw a passerby on the road. When I explained what happened to him, he accompanied me to the scene. On getting there, we met the deceased face down in a pool of blood; his motorcycle had been taken away.”
Another witness also told the court;
“The deceased and his younger brother once had an altercation on the management of their father’s farm property.
“During police investigation, the motorcycle of the deceased was found in his younger brother’s possession; he had changed the number plate. But the discovery was made through the motorcycles’ documents.”
Police prosecutor, Kunle-Shina Adeyemi who called four witnesses and also tendered the statements of the witnesses and defendant, two locally-made guns, the photograph of the defendant posing with the motorcycle, motorcycle particulars, and a medical report, among others, as exhibits, stated that the offences contravened sections 402 (2) and 319(1) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap. C16, Laws of Ekiti State of Nigeria, 2012.
The convict who spoke through his counsel, Olarewaju Oluwasola, called in no witness.
Delivering judgement on the case, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye of Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division said;
“The ingredients of the offences of armed robbery and murder have been established against the defendant. The defendant is accordingly convicted as charged for the offences of armed robbery and murder. The defendant is sentenced to death by hanging on count one (armed robbery) and count two (murder) until he be dead.”