Vigilantees get 21 years in jail for murder of poly students
Three vigilante men, Olabisi Olajuwon and Kayode Opeolu have been sentenced to 21 years imprisonment by a High Court in Ilesa, Osun State for killing two students of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Bashiru Saheed and Oluwole Segun. The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Dr. Ajibola Basiru told the court that Olajuwon […]
Three vigilante men, Olabisi Olajuwon and Kayode Opeolu have been sentenced to 21 years imprisonment by a High Court in Ilesa, Osun State for killing two students of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Bashiru Saheed and Oluwole Segun.
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Dr. Ajibola Basiru told the court that Olajuwon and Kayode committed the crime on September 24, 2006 at Eripa village near Otan-Ayegbaju community.
The convicts were charged on three counts of conspiracy, attempted murder and murder in contravention of Sections 324, 320 and 319 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Osun State, 2003.
The Attorney General explained that the convicted under the pretext of vigilante duty stopped a motorcycle that conveyed three students including one Omotayo Ogunlaja and the deceased.
Ajibola said the convicts accused the occupants of the motorcycle of being cultists, took them into a bush, tied their hands behind them, shot them and dumped their remains in a ditch.
One of the students, Omotayo who was lucky to be alive managed to crawl out of from the ditch and was assisted to the hospital by some passersby and the matter was reported to the police.
The convicts were arrested and they gave confessional statements but when they were arraigned in court, they pleaded not guilty and they were remanded in prison custody since then.
One of the three vigilante men, Wemimo Adewale died in prison custody when the trial was going on and his name was struck out from the charge. Counsel to the Convicts, Mr Julius Akhigbe, urged the court to be lenient with his clients.
In his judgement, Justice Isiaka Adeleke said the prosecution proved the case beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced each of the convicts to 21 years imprisonment without option of fine beginning from Tuesday, 20th December, 2017.