On Thursday, an Osun state high court sentenced Kayode Idowu, a 35-year-old artisan, to death by hanging for robbery and murder.
Idowu and his accomplice, Femi Adebowale, had been arraigned before the court by the police on three counts of conspiracy, murder and armed robbery.
Idowu was said to have broken into the apartments of Rachel Ogbomoniyi and Florence Ajayi at about 1am on August 3, 2009 and found N200 from Ajayi’s room.
Idowu and Adebowale were said to have stolen the N200 and eventually killed Ajayi.
Mr. Moses Faremi, the principal state counsel told the court that Idowu and his companion, who had died in the course of trial, forcefully entered the apartment of the victims in the night and asked for money.
He stated that the deceased told them she did not have money, adding that after they left the deceased, she was later found in a pool of blood.
The counsel said the offences were contrary to sections (1) (2) (9)and 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 34, Volume 2, Law of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.
The principal witness, who was also the second victim of the attack, had told the court during the trial that she was asked to come and identify the two men at the police station and she was able to point them out.
The witness had said, “I was invited to the police station to identify who robbed me and killed Florence Ajayi. Out of the eight people – men of same height on – identified Kayode and Femi because they were the ones that robbed me on the day of the incident and killed the deceased. Nobody showed me anybody to identify.”
The counsel for the convicts, Sade Ipede, of the Legal Aid Council, had pleaded with the judge to temper justice with mercy.
The judge said the prosecuting counsel had proved his case beyond reasonable doubt.
She said, “The evidence brought to the court is so strong and credible. The action of the accused was intentional.
“The accused is found guilty of the charges against him. He should be hanged by the neck for conspiracy; hanged by the neck for murder and hanged by the neck for armed robbery.”