A High Court of Ekiti State has sentenced a 42-year-old prince, Ademola Omoniyi, to death by hanging for stabbing the traditional ruler of his community to death.
Justice Olukayode Ogundana gave the ruling on Thursday in the one-count of murder preferred against the convict.
According to the state prosecutor, Adegboyega Morakinyo, the offence runs contrary to Section 316 and punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap. C16, Laws of Ekiti State of Nigeria, 2012.
The one-count charge read that, “Ademola Stephen Omoniyi on August 20, 2018, at Odo Oro Ekiti in the Ikole Ekiti Judicial Division, murdered His Royal Majesty, Oba Gbadebo Ibitoye Olowoselu ll, the Onise of Odo Oro Ekiti in the Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State.”
A chief in the town, who served as one of five witnesses for the prosecution, told the court that the convict ambushed and attacked the monarch with a knife.
“We were at the palace on that day for the Onise-in-Council meeting around 7am. Before the commencement of the meeting, Ademola Omoniyi entered the palace and sat on kabiyesi’s seat, but the chiefs frowned on his action and drove him away.
“After the meeting, the late Onise, in the company of his male clerk, was trekking back to the main palace when Ademola came out of his hiding and attacked kabiyesi with a knife on the road and stabbed him to death. Before that day, he had been parading himself as the king of the town,” he said.
Delivering judgement, Justice Ogundana dismissed defence counsel, Tope Salami’s claim that his client was insane.
“Consequently, the defendant, Omoniyi Ademola Stephen, is hereby sentenced to death and shall be hanged until he breathes his last,” the judge ruled.