Sunday, May 31, 2026 - An Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure has sentenced a 32-year old man, Toba Adeyemi, to d3ath by hanging for the m8rder of a youth leader, Michael Alademomi, popularly known as “Eko,” during a supremacy clash in Akure.
Adeyemi, who was arraigned in October 2021 in charge No.
AK/58C/2021, faced a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and m3rder.
Delivering judgement, Justice Yemi Fasanmi held that the
prosecution had successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The judge sentenced Adeyemi to 14 years’ imprisonment for
conspiracy and d3ath by hanging for the murder of the deceased.
“I hereby sentence Adeyemi to 14 years imprisonment on the
count of conspiracy and sentence him to death by hanging for st@bbing the
deceased to d2ath, in accordance with the law,” Justice Fasanmi ruled.
Earlier, the prosecution counsel, D.G. Kayode, told the
court that Adeyemi and others at large committed the offence on May 1, 2021, at
No. 50B, Fadeyi Street, Oshinle, Akure, within the court’s jurisdiction.
Kayode stated that at about 5 p.m. on the said date, the
convict and his accomplices allegedly conspired to k!ll Alademomi, by beating
and st@bbing him in the neck.
The prosecution called four witnesses and tendered the
extra-judicial statement of the defendant as evidence while the defendant
testified as a sole witness.
However, the convict denied involvement in the crime.
According to the prosecutor, the offence contravened
Sections 316 and 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap 37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State
of Nigeria, 2006.
One of the prosecution witnesses told the court that the
defendant arrived at the deceased’s residence with about eight men on
motorcycles and allegedly pointed at Alademomi before he was attacked.
The
witness said the deceased ran into the house while shouting for help and
bleeding profusely after he was st@bbed in the neck.
He
added that the attackers fled the scene immediately, while the victim was
rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced d3ad about three hours later
due to excessive loss of blood.
He
further disclosed that a deep cut was observed on the deceased’s neck.
Counsel
to the defendant, Fortune Falade, argued that there was no direct evidence
linking Adeyemi to the st@bbing of the deceased.
However,
Justice Fasanmi held that the oral and documentary evidence before the court
showed that the defendant deliberately went to the deceased’s residence with
armed supporters to intimidate and assault him over an earlier disagreement.
The
judge said the defendant mobilised the group in a show of strength and
toughness against the deceased, adding that the injuries inflicted during the
attack led to Alademomi’s d3ath
Justice
Fasanmi further held that the testimonies of prosecution witnesses corroborated
one another and established that the deceased sustained fatal injuries to the
neck during the assault.
“The
evidence before this court clearly shows that the defendant committed the
offence of m3rder punishable with death.
"The
prosecution has successfully discharged the burden of proof placed upon it by
law,” the judge ruled.
He
consequently sentenced the convict to d3ath by hanging in accordance with the
law.
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