An Osun State High Court, sitting in Ilesa, on Tuesday, sentenced two persons, Olabisi Olajuwon and Kayode Opeolu, to 21 years imprisonment over murder.
The convicts, Olajuwon (42) and Opeolu (55), were arraigned before the court on three count charges of conspiracy, attempted murder and murder, which according to the charge sheet was contrary to sections 324, 320 and 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Vol. 11, Laws of Osun state.
The prosecution from the State Ministry of Justice led by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Ajibola Basiru, had earlier told the court that the convicts committed the crime on 24th of September, 2006.
Information made available to our correspondent by the Information Officer, Ministry of Justice, Mr. Opeyemi Bello, stated that the convicts claimed to be Vigilantes and stopped the motorcycle that carried students of Osun state Polytechnic, Iree, Omotayo Ogunlaja, Bashiru Saheed and Oluwole Segun, who were on their way to Ada.
The convicts were said to have accused Ogunlaja as one of the cultists terrorising the community and they were driven in a van to a bush along Eripa, Otan-Ayegbaju road, in Boluwaduro Local government area, where their hands were tied behind them.
It was revealed during the proceedings that each of the students were shot while Ogunlaja pretended to be dead and he was pushed into the nearby ditch.
The other two were reportedly shot dead and one of them was beheaded. The assailants then swore to an oath not to reveal the secret and if caught not to mention anyone’s name.
It was further revealed that Omotayo crawled out of the ditch in the early hours of 25th September, 2006 and was assisted to the hospital where he volunteered his statement to the police.
It was revealed that his statement led to the arrest of the convicts who also volunteered their confessional statements.
Bello said that the prosecuting counsels had called five witnesses to testify during the trial, noting, in the course of trial, one Wemimo Adewale, the first accused person, died and his name was struck out from the charge.
Counsel to the Convicts, Mr. Julius Akhigbe, prayed the court to be merciful in sentencing his clients, saying they have regretted their actions.
The presiding judge, Justice Isiaka Adeleke, said he was satisfied with the evidence tendered by the prosecution and the way the prosecution had proofed the case beyond reasonable doubt.
He thereby sentenced each of the convicts to twenty-one (21) years imprisonment without option of fine and to begin from the judgement date, 20th December, 2017.
