Court sentences 2 men to death for murder, kidnapping

TWO men, Bode Fabiyi and Afeez Opeyemi Ahmed, have been sentenced to death by hanging, by a Lagos State High Court sitting at Tafa Balewa Square, TBS, for kidnapping and killing a 53-year-old businessman, Kolawole Animashaun, who had just relocated from the United Kingdom to Nigeria.

Justice Modupe Nico-Clay also sentenced them to 77years imprisonment after finding them guilty of the offence of conspiracy to murder, kidnapping, murder, collecting of ransom and dumping the corpse in a soakaway pit.

She sentenced them to 14 years imprisonment for the first count and sentenced them to death on the second count charge and 21 years each for counts 3,4 and 5 respectively.

Justice Nico-Clay said the term of the sentence should run concurrently.

Delivery judgement, Justice Nico-Clay said the prosecution has been able to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt that the convicts committed the offence.

The judge held that the offences of conspiracy to commit murder and kidnapping have been established, saying: “That the deceased died. It was the defendant that caused the death of the deceased.”

“The act and omission of the defendant caused the death of the deceased. The PW1 said the first defendant was with her dad’s phone, she got a message that her dad was kidnapped.

“The first defendant, Bode Fabiyi, had denied killing the deceased, but on citing Afeez, he started confessing that he killed, broke his head with a big sledgehammer and dumped his corpse in a soakaway.

The convicts committed the offences on July 31, 2016, at no. 346, Muritala Muhammed Way Yaba.

The Lagos state prosecution led by Mrs Adeshina Adekunle-Bello and Mrs Titilayo Olanrewaju-Daud told the court that the convicts conspired amongst themselves to kill the victim Kolawole Animashaun.

She said that the duo, after kidnapping Animashaun, blindfolded him, tied him up and gagged his mouth before strangulating him to death.

The prosecution also told the court during the convicts’ arraignment that they broke the head of the deceased with a big sledgehammer before strangling him to death and dumped his corpse in a soakaway pit.

Culled from Vanguard