Four sentenced to seven years jail, death for conspiracy, murder in Ekiti

Sunday Aernana (30), Jonathan Elijah (19), Aofa Sule Obasanjo (30), and Moses Lorna (24) were sentenced to death by hanging by Justice Adekunle Adeleye of the Ekiti State High Court in Ado Ekiti for conspiracy, murder, and attempted murder.

On August 31, 2020, the defendants were brought before Justice Adekunle Adeleye on a three-count charge of conspiracy, murder, and attempted murder.

According to the accusation, on April 5, 2020, at Iyemero Ekiti in Ikole LGA of Ekiti State, the defendants conspired to kill Chief Sola Fatunla and also attempted to murder one Adebo Tadeni.

Sections 516, 316, and 320 of the Criminal Code Cap. C16, Laws of Ekiti State of Nigeria, 2012 were violated.

An eyewitness, Adebo Tadeni testified before the court,  said “I got married to the 1st defendant with children, I left him due to frequent misunderstanding between us but he later came to apologize and promised to be a changed person.

“Sometimes ago, he alleged me of having affairs with Chief Sola Fatunla, he threatened to kill both of us if ever see us together again, the matter was reported at the police station. He was arrested but begged for forgiveness. He wrote an undertaking to be a good boy to the Chief.
“On a fateful day, he lured me and the deceased to a farm at Iyemero Ekiti in pretense to help him settle a rift between him and one Ebira man, on getting to the farm, we met other defendants drinking hot gin, they seized my phone and Chief Sola Fatunla phones, he ordered them to start beating us with a cutlass, they later tied him on a tree, I was taken to a nearby location where I was watching them and also tied me on a tree, Sule Obasanjo broke the gin bottle on Chief Sola Fatunla’s forehead and became unconscious, he wet him with petrol and set him ablaze.
“I escaped from where I was tied and ran away.”
“I went to report the matter at the police station, thereafter, the defendants were arrested in Kwara State while trying to escape,” she concluded.

The prosecution, Barrister Julius Ajibare, brought six witnesses and presented the defendant’s statements, images of the deceased charred body, and a medical report as documents to establish his case.

The defendants testified for themselves through their counsels, Paul Akomolafe and Stanley Okonkwo, and no witnesses were summoned.

Given his decision, Justice Adekunle Adeleye stated that in the circumstances, the prosecution established via evidence the purpose of the first -4th defendants to commit murder and attempt to kill.

“On the whole, the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that the first, second, third, and fourth defendants conspired together to commit felony to wit; murder, and attempt to murder on 5th August 2020.

“This is contrary to Sec. 516, 316, and 320 of the Criminal Code Cap. C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.

“Each of the first, second, third, and fourth defendants are hereby sentenced to seven years imprisonment each on count 1 (conspiracy) Death by hanging on count 2 (murder) and life imprisonment on count 3 (attempt to murder),” the judge ruled.