IKIRE, Nigeria – Justice Christiana Obadina of an Osun State High Court in Ikire on Monday, July 17, 2023, has sentenced two men to death by hanging for the brutal murder of Favour Daley-Oladele, a final year Sociology student at Lagos State University, LASU.
The convicts, Philip Segun, a prophet at Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Solution Chapel in Ikoyi-Ile, and Owolabi Adeeko, 23, were charged with conspiracy and murder.
Bola Adeeko, Owolabi’s mother, was also convicted for her involvement in the heinous human flesh consumption incident.
The tragic saga began when Owolabi lured Favour from Lagos to Ikire under the guise of visiting his uncle.
He, his mother, and Prophet Segun had conspired to use the unsuspecting student for a money ritual.
Favour was brutally killed on the church premises, where Owolabi struck her head with a pestle.
Her organs were subsequently used for ritualistic purposes, and her remains were buried in a shallow grave outside the church on December 8, 2019.
Following their arrest, the culprits confessed to the crime, leading to the exhumation of Favour’s body by the police a few weeks later.
The defendants were first arraigned before the court on November 15, 2021.
Throughout the trial, the prosecution team from the Ministry of Justice, led by Mrs Adekemi Bello, presented nine witnesses, including the police investigating officer, and submitted several exhibits.
The defendants testified in their defence but did not call any additional witnesses.
Justice Obadina concluded that the prosecution had proven the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Both Segun and Owolabi were found guilty of murder and conspiracy, while Bola Adeeko was convicted for consuming human flesh, contrary to the law.
During the allocutor plea, defence counsel Adeshina Olaniyan pleaded for leniency from the court.
Despite this, Justice Obadina sentenced Segun and Owolabi to death by hanging for murder and 14 years imprisonment for conspiracy.
Bola Adeeko was sentenced to two years imprisonment for her involvement.
Owolabi had previously confessed to using his girlfriend to prepare a ritual meal known as “victory soup” for money ritual, which he and his mother consumed.
With the verdict now handed down, the tragic case of Favour Daley-Oladele’s murder has finally reached its conclusion.
The judgement serves as a stern reminder of the rule of law and the justice system’s commitment to upholding the rights and dignity of all Nigerians.
