Justice Ibrahim Yusuf of Kwara State High Court has sentenced three persons to death by hanging over the rape and murder of a 300-level undergraduate of the University of Ilorin, UNILORIN, Omowumi Olajide.
Two other accused persons were sentenced to six years in prison while three were discharged and acquitted.
Olajide was raped and murdered at her Tanke residence around the University of Ilorin on June 2, 2021.
Eight suspects including accomplices were arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, in connection with the crime.
Abdulazeez Ismail, Moses Oluwatimileyin, and Oyeyemi Omogbolahan are the major suspects accused of raping and murdering Olajide.
The trio alongside two others were also accused of stealing her property and withdrawing money from her account while three others involved in using Olajide’s stolen phone to make calls were also co-defendants in the case.
Delivering his judgement, Justice Ibrahim Yusuf found the trio of Azeez Ismail, Moses Oluwatimileyin, and Oyeyemi Omogbolah of rape, robbery, and culpable homicide.
He sentenced them to death by hanging.
Three defendants, who were accused of receiving the stolen phone and making calls with it, were lucky to be discharged and acquitted.
The case, which started in July 2021, saw the court filled with relatives of both the accused and the dead victim.
Tension In UNIJOS Following Brutal Rape And Murder Of 400-Level English Student
The University of Jos, UNIJOS, community has been thrown into tension following the killing of a 400-level student in the Department of English by suspected assassins.
The victim, Ruth Yakadi, from the Anaguta tribe in Plateau State, was said to have been killed after being raped by her assailants.
The video of her killing which had gone viral was sent to PUNCH Metro in Abuja on Sunday, December 11, 2022, from Jos.
When contacted, the Head, Department of English in UNIJOS, Prof. Jeff Doki, said the deceased was a spillover student, waiting for mobilisation by the National Youth Service Corp, after completing her project.
“I have lost three students since I became HOD in 2021, two males in July and September this year, 2022, during the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities,” he told our correspondent.
The HOD directed other lecturers to provide information on the WhatsApp group of department.
Doki said, “Information reaching me indicates that the girl who was killed last Saturday night at Farin Gada is a spillover student of our department. She was supervised by Dr Douglas Kaze and had issues with her long essay. Perhaps she is done with the project perhaps she is not.
“I am requesting Dr Kaze and Mrs Vera Aaron and Mr Innocent Dajang to kindly provide information about her on this page, please. Her name is Ruth Yakadi. She is Anaguta by the tribe.
“Information available shows the girl was raped and killed thereafter. As things stand now, we are wondering if they are rapists or assassins.”
Alfred Alabo, the spokesperson of Plateau State Police Command, also confirmed the incident.
“You even have information about it more than me. The long and short of it is that we are aware of the incident. An investigation is on and when we’re done, we will get back to you,” he said.
