Couple sentenced to death by hanging for murder in Osun

An Osun State High Court, sitting in Ile-Ife, on Wednesday sentenced a couple, Mr Fatai Jimoh and Mrs Lateefat Jimoh to death by hanging, having been convicted of murder charge.

The court, presided over by Justice Adedotun Onibokun, found the couple guilty of two-count charge of murder and armed robbery.

The convicts were arraigned on June 2, 2014, on three-count charge of murder, conspiracy to murder and armed robbery which is contrary to section (1) 316  and punishable under 319 Cap 34 Laws of Osun State and (6b) and section 1  (1) 2 (a) of the Robbery and Firearms (special provision) Act, Cap R11 Law of Federation of Nigeria.

According to the prosecution counsel from the Osun State Ministry of Justice, Barrister Moses Faremi, “on the 12th of August, 2009, the convicts conspired together to murder and rob late Mrs Bukola Taiwo at Ikeketu Village via Garage Olode in Ife South Local Government Area.

“Mr. Fatai Jimoh went into the room let out to the deceased, and where she normally slept whenever she came from Ibadan to buy red palm oil and strangulated her while his wife (Lateefat Jimoh) used a sledge hammer to smash the forehead of deceased which led to her death”.

Faremi continued, “the convicts took away untied wallet in the bosom of the deceased which contained the sum of N48,780.”

The prosecuting counsel called four witnesses which include a police inspector, a pathologist from the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, the Baale of Ikeketu and the neighbours who saw what happened and alerted others.

Faremi added that the convicts in their confessional statement made at police station stated that they broke into the room where deceased kept kegs of palm oil and sold some of them, promising to return them before the incident occurred.