AKURE – Three men were on Thursday, March 20, 2014 sentenced to death hanging by the High Court, after they were found guilty of kidnapping and murdering a one-and-half-year-old baby.
The victim, Rachael Akingboye was allegedly abducted from her parents’ house in June 2011 and subsequently murdered by the trio in ritual-like circumstances.
The convicts are Olusegun Obaro, Jonah Lase and Theophilus Friday.
Ondo TV reports:
According to the Presiding Judge, Justice Olusegun Odusola, “kidnapping is contrary to and punishable under section 3 of the Ondo State Anti-Kidnapping and abduction law 2010, while murder is contrary to section 316 and punishable under section 319 of the criminal code laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.”
Obaro and Lase were said to have kidnapped the deceased from her parent’s residence on the night of June 17, 2011 at Ikoriho in Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of the state. They were said to have handed the deceased over to Friday who sent them.
The baby’s corpse was said to have been found very close to her parent’s house with her right ear, right eye, right breast and right part of her scalp removed.
The three accused persons were apprehended by the community and handed over to the police and thereafter confessed to the crime at the Igbokoda police station.
In his ruling, Justice Odusola gave order that the three convicts be sentenced to death by hanging having being found guilty of two-count charges of kidnapping and murder
“The offence for which the accused were charged is strict liability offence; death penalty is the punishment for each of the counts.
“Having found the first and second accused person guilty of both counts, the third accused is guilty of murder.
“I hereby sentence Olusegun Obaro, Jonah Lase and Theophilus Friday to death by hanging,” Odusola said.
