On Monday, the Osogbo Division of Osun High Court sentenced four persons to death by hanging for murder and other related offences.

The four convicts are Olabisi Bashiru, 50; Kayode Sunday, 27; Rashidi Waidi, 35; and Hameed Rafiu, 33.

They had pleaded guilty to the crimes.

The presiding judge, S. Falola, sentenced the four to death.

The state counsel, Dele Akintayo, had told the court that the convicts committed the crime on November 27, 2018, at about 2:00 p.m. in the Moboreja area, Ikirun, Osun.

“The convicts were armed with offensive weapons, and they jumped the fence into the house owned by Victor Akinbile’s uncle and forcibly entered the room he was sleeping. They demanded the sum of N10 million from Akinbile, but he gave them N3 million through transfer and collected huge cash from the victim, having threatened to kill him,” stated the counsel.

Mr Akintayo said the convicts “later kidnapped Akinbile.” He was put inside his Toyota Camry car’s boot and driven to Dominion Camp area, old Iragbiji road along Ikirun/Osogbo road, where he was set alight inside the car.

The prosecution counsel said the crime contravened the Robbery and Firearms Laws 2004, punishable under the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume 2, Laws of 2002.

Counsel to the convicts, S. Ajibade and Adedayo Adedeji, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing the convicts. 

(NAN)