Court Sentences Two to Death in Osun

An Osun State High Court sitting in Ikirun has sentenced two men to death by hanging for murder.

Justice Oyejide Falola convicted the accused persons for the murder of a 400 level student of Osun State University, Ipetu-Ijesa Campus, Miss Rofiat Damilola Adebisi in 2016.

The convicts are Elijah Oyebode, (25) and Jelili Raji (aka Ifa) (35) they were arraigned in court 14th November 2017.

Delivering his judgment, Justice Falola maintained that the prosecution team had established beyond a reasonable doubt that the convicts deliberately murdered the late Rofiat.

The convicts had been charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit murder, murder and accessory after the fact of murder which contravenes Sections 324, 316 and punishable under Section 319 and Section 322 of the Criminal Code Cap.3 laws of Osun State, 2002.

Prosecution counsel from Ministry of Justice, Mr Kareem Adekilekun early told the court that “on the 22nd December 2016 Miss Rofiat Damilola Adebisi, a 400 level student of Osun State University, Ipetu-Ijesa Campus boarded a golf car with registration number, Lagos FKJ 636 dl driven by Elijah Oyebode.

However, on the 23rd of December, 2016 the lifeless body of Rofiat Damilola Adebisi was found by the roadside along Egbeda/Iragbiji.

One Yusuf Ajibade was arrested through the deceased phone (iPhone 5) which he sold to Quadri on the instruction of Elijah Oyebode.

Elijah Oyebode in his statement said Jelili Raji, requested him to supply him a maid and gave him the charm to touch any lady he intended to bring for him, with the assurance that such lady would not argue with him.

Elijah confessed that he used the charm to touch the diseased while she attempted to put her luggage in his car boot, where he picked her as a passenger going to Ikirun from Ipetu-Ijesa.

He explained that he handed over Rofiat Adebisi a 400 level student of UNIOSUN to Jelili at his shrine where he paid him the sum of ten thousand naira only.

Adeyeye Simon, a police officer attached to the Homicide Section, State Criminal Investigation Department gave evidence that Elijah Oyebode was a commercial driver that was plying the route of Akure Owena road and that Elijah Oyebode and Yusuf Ajibade took the (deceased) Rofiat Damilola Adebisi to Jelili Raji house’s after Elijah have had sex with the deceased.

He also claimed that the lady died at Jelili Raji house while Elijah Oyebode and dumped the body of the Rofiat Adebisi (deceased) along Egbeda -Iragbiji road. 

Another witness Olatomiwa Alade, an officer with Department of State Security Service said that a data report was obtained from DSS Headquarters Abuja while the deceased phone was traced to Kolapo Quadiri who alleged that he bought the phone from Yusuf Ajibade, who acquired the phone from Elijah Oyebode.

Counsel to the convicts, Suleiman Bello pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.

However, Justice Falola acquitted Yusuf Ajibade from two counts charge of murder and conspiracy but convicted him on the third count of receiving stolen property and sentenced him to two years imprisonment.

Adenitan Akinola