Tuesday, August 12, 2025 - An Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure has sentenced a middle-aged man, Sunday Omoniyi, to d3ath by hanging for stabbing for killing his roommate, Michael Oyebanji, during a fight over the closing of door.
Omoniyi was arraigned on a one-count charge of m8rder
contrary to Section 316 and punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code,
Cap 37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria 2006.
One of the prosecution witnesses, Ismaila Adefaka, told the
court that both the defendant and the deceased were his tenants. He said that
the incident occurred on July 23, 2022 at about 6:30am at 4, Canaanland, Ijoka
Road in Akure.
Adefaka said that he suddenly heard noises which forced him
to trace the uproar to the defendant’s apartment where he met the deceased in
the pool of his blood, reportedly st@bbed by the defendant with a knife on his
chest.
He added that he lodged a formal complaint to the police
after the deceased was confirmed d3ad at the hospital.
Adedeji Gift, Adedugbe Opeyemi and Aremu Opeyemi who were
co-occupants with both the defendant and the deceased separately told the court
that the defendant and the deceased had an argument that morning over closing
of the door, but the argument was resolved for them.
The witnesses stated that after they had left the room, they
suddenly heard the deceased’s voice and rushed back into the room, only to meet
him on the floor in the pool of his blood and the defendant with a knife in his
hand stained with blood.
According to Adedugbe Opeyemi, the defendant confessed to
have st@bbed the deceased in retaliation for a fist blow on him by the late
Oyebanjil.
Police prosecutor, Inspector Fisayo Oladepo, told the court
that following his arrest, Omoniyi Sunday confessed in a statement to have
committed the offence.
In his judgement, Justice W.R. Olamide said that the
prosecution successfully proved the case of murder against the defendant and
sentenced the defendant to d3ath by hanging.
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