The trio of Lekan Adekanbi, Ahmed Odetola, and Waheed Adeniyi were on Monday sentenced to death by hanging by an Abeokuta High Court for killing a banker and his wife, Mr. Kehinde and Mrs. Bukola Fatinoye, along with their son, Oreoluwa, on January 1, 2023.
They were arraigned alongside six others: Temitope Fadairo, wife of Adekanbi; Adenike Adekanbi, the mother of the main culprit; Aanuoluwapo Owolaja; Azeez Usman; Abass Odetola; and Lukmon Adewusi.
The defendants appeared before the court on a 24-count charge, including conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed robbery, conspiracy to murder, murder, arson, escape from lawful custody, perverting the course of justice, and receiving stolen property, among others.
They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges leveled against them.
Presiding Judge, Mrs. Basirat Adebowale, while delivering judgment, found the three major defendants guilty on a nine-count charge.
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She explained that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, establishing that the trio was guilty of the charges.
Adebowale stated that the offenses committed contravened Section 21(b) and 16(1)(b) of the Prohibition of Forcible Occupation of Landed Properties, Armed Robbery, Kidnapping, Cultism, and Other Anti-Violence and Related Offences Law of Ogun State, 2016.
The judge also said the offenses violated Sections 324, 316, 324, and 443 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State, 2006.
Adebowale thereafter sentenced the trio to death by hanging.
“You, Adekanbi, Odetola, and Adeniyi, for killing a father, mother, and son, do not deserve mercy.
“You are hereby sentenced to be hanged by the neck until you are dead or by lethal injection. May God have mercy on your souls,” she ruled.
The wife of the first defendant was sentenced to two years in prison for perverting justice by hiding her husband when he was declared wanted by the police.
Adenike Adekanbi, the mother of the first defendant, was sentenced to one year in prison for making false statements to police officers.
Adebowale also sentenced Azeez Usman, a welder, to 14 years in prison with hard labor for receiving stolen property. His sentence is to run concurrently.
Anuoluwapo Owolaja was sentenced to two years in prison, while Abass Odetola and Lukmon Adewusi were discharged of the offenses preferred against them.
Earlier during the trial, the Chief State Counsel, Temilola Adefisoye, reminded the court that the trio committed the offense on January 1, 2023, at Karounwi Street, Ibara Housing Estate, Abeokuta.
Adefisoye stated that Adekanbi, who was the driver for the Fatinoyes, conspired with Odetola and Adeniyi to rob and murder Mr. and Mrs. Fatinoye.
She explained that the trio, while armed with a gun, hammer, and cutlass, robbed Mr. Fatinoye of N1.102 million and a Hyundai vehicle valued at N12 million.
She also said they robbed Mrs. Bukola Fatinoye of her phones, valued at N1 million.
The prosecuting counsel further explained that after robbing the Fatinoyes, Adeniyi used a knife to slit Mr. Kehinde Fatinoye’s throat, while Lekan used a sledgehammer to strike Bukola on the head before also slitting her throat.
She added that after committing the murder, they set the house on fire and killed the couple’s only surviving child, Oreoluwa, by tying his hands and legs before throwing him into the Ogun River.
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