Justice as watchmaker, 3 others bag death sentence for corps member’s murder

• A watchmaker, Oludayo Oladele, along with Awodeji Muyiwa and herb seller Jelili Kareem, were sentenced to death on July 9
• The trio committed the crime on January 28, 2020, in the Omo-West area, where they robbed and killed Mukaila, who was also a recharge card vendor
• Despite their initial plea of not guilty, Justice Adedapo Adeniji of the Osun State High Court found them guilty of conspiracy, armed robbery, illegal possession, among others

Osogbo, Osun state, A watchmaker, Oludayo Oladele, along with Awodeji Muyiwa and herb seller Jelili Kareem, were sentenced to death on Tuesday, July 9.

The trio were sentenced to death for robbing and killing Adebayo Mukaila, a corps member, in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State.

Court sentences 3 people to death for killing corps member Photo credit: @Naija_PR
Source: Twitter

On January 28, 2020, the duo robbed and murdered Mukaila, who was also a recharge card vendor, at his shop in the Omo-West area, in front of his daughter.

Initially, they pleaded not guilty when first arraigned with a vulcanizer, Anifowose Biliaminu, who purchased the stolen recharge card, before Justice Adedapo Adeniji at the Osun State High Court on October 8, 2020.

The charges against them included conspiracy, armed robbery, illegal possession, and murder, as reported by Vanguard.

During the trial, prosecutor Muyiwa Ogunleye from the Ministry of Justice presented four witnesses: the deceased's 10-year-old daughter, his elder brother, a pathologist, and the Investigative Police Officer (IPO).

Ogunleye stated that the convicts conspired to rob and murder Mukaila, taking his phone, recharge cards, and other valuables.

Biliaminu was also charged with receiving the stolen recharge card, which contravened sections 316, 319, and 324 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap.34, Vol. 2, Laws of the State, 2002, and Section 27 of the Robbery and Firearms Act, Cap R11, LFN 2004.

The prosecutor presented the deceased’s autopsy report and the murder weapon as evidence.

Defence counsels Shina Olaniyan, Folashade Ipede, and Suleiman Akano argued for the dismissal of the case, asserting that the prosecution did not prove the charges of murder, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, and unlawful possession of firearms.

However, Justice Adeniji ruled that the prosecutor had proved the charges beyond a reasonable doubt, sentencing the three convicts to death.

However, Anifowose Biliaminu was acquitted and discharged from the charge of receiving stolen recharge cards.

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NDLEA nabs Osun monarch, corps member for drug trafficking

In another report, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) apprehended Ba’ale Ige Babatunde, the head of the Akarabata community in Ile-Ife, Osun state, on Friday, July 5.

The traditional ruler was found with fresh weed plants weighing 5kg.

As reported by Legit.ng, Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA's Director of Media and Advocacy, said the agency's operatives in Kano state also arrested Yusuf Abdulrahman, a youth corps member, at the Corpers Lodge in the Sumaila area of the city. Abdulrahman was caught with 1.250kg of Loud.

Source: Legit.ng