Abeokuta High Court sitting in Kobape, on Monday has sentenced three men to death by hanging for killing Kehinde Fatiloye and Mrs Fatinoye with their son, Oreoluwa on Jan 1, 2023.
Lekan Adekanbi, Ahmed Odetola, Waheed Adeniyi were arraigned alongside with six others Temitope Fadairo, (wife of the first defendant Adekanbi), Adenike Adekanbi, (Mother to the first defendant) Anuoluwapo Owolaja, Azeez Usman, Abass Odetola and Lukmon Adewusi.
The defendants were arraigned on a 24-count charge including conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed robbery, conspiracy to murder, murder, arson, escape from lawful custody, perverting the course of justice, receiving stolen property among others.
They however, pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
Delivering her judgment, Mrs Basirat Adebowale found that the three major defendants were guilty of nine counts, holding that prosecution has proven its case beyond reasonable doubt that Adekanbi, Odetola and Adeniyi were guilty of the charges.
Adebowale said the offences committed contravened section 21(b),16(1)(b) of the prohibition of forcible occupation of landed properties, Armed Robbery, Kidnapping, Cultism and other Anti-Violence and other related offences Law of Ogun 2016.
She also said that the offence contravene sections 324, 316, 324, 443 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun 2006.
Adebowale, thereafter convicted the trio to death by hanging.
“You Adekanbi, Adetola and Adeniyi for killing father, mother and son, you don’t deserve mercy. You are hereby hanged by your neck until you are dead or by lethal injection, may God have mercy on your soul,” she said.
The Judge, also convicted Fadairo, the wife of Adekanbi to two years imprisonment, for perverting the course of Justice by hiding her husband Adekanbi.
While Adenike Adekanbi, the mother of the first defendant, Laken Adekanbi was convicted to one year imprisonment for making false statements to police officers.
She also sentenced Azeez Usman to 14 years imprisonment for count 16, two years for count 18 and 7 years for count 19 with hard labour which is to run concurrently.
Azeez was convicted for receiving stolen property, he was said to be the welder, who received the stolen vehicle and butchered it into pieces
While Anuoluwapo Owolaja, was convicted to two years imprisonment, Abass Odetola and Lukman Adewusi were discharged of the offence preferred against them.
Earlier during the trial, the prosecution counsel Mrs Adefisoye Temilola, Chief state counsel, told the court that the trio committed the offence on Jan 1, 2023 at Karounwi street, Ibara housing estate in Abeokuta.
Temilola said the Adekanbi, who was the driver to the Fatinoye conspired with Odetola, and Adeniyi to rob and murder Mr Kehinde Fatinoye and Mrs Bukola Fatinoye.
She said the trio armed with a gun, hammer, and cutlass robbed Mr Fatinoye of the sum of N1.102 million and one Hyundai Vehicle valued N12 million.
She also said they robbed Mrs Bukola Fatinoye of her phones valued N1million
The prosecuting counsel further explained that after the convict robbed the Fatinoye of their property, Adeniyi, used a knife to gut the neck of Mr Kehinde Fatinoye, while Lekan used a sledgehammer to hit Bukola on her head and also gut her neck.
She said after the murder, they set the house ablaze with fire, and also killed the Fatinoye’s only son, Oreoluwa, by tying his hands and legs and throwing him inside Ogun river, which led to his death.
