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The Ondo State High Court, Akure, has sentenced one Emmanuel Akpan, 21, to death by hanging for the murder of his employer, Febisola Adedayo.
The court, however, discharged and acquitted his co-defendant, Goodness Akpe, due to insufficient evidence to convict him.
Trial judge, Rotimi Olamide, in his judgement on Wednesday in Charge No: AK/57C/2022, held that the prosecution proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt on the charge of murder against the second defendant.
The case contained two counts of conspiracy to commit murder and murder, contrary to Sections 324, 316 and 319(1) of the Criminal Code, Cap 37, Laws of Ondo State, 2006.
The incident occurred on 29 March 2021, at Ifakanbale Street, Sabo, Ondo town, where the deceased, a food vendor, was attacked in her residence at night.
According to the prosecution, the defendants conspired to kill Mrs Adedayo and the second defendant, Mr Akpan, inflicted fatal machete cuts on her neck, leading to her death.
Evidence before the court showed that the suspects allegedly killed the woman after hearing she had money in her house and later attempted to cover up the crime by setting the building on fire to make it look like a gas explosion.
Mr Olamide rejected the denial by the defendants, noting that their claims were contradicted by evidence before the court.
The court also held that the second defendant’s account of his arrest was not credible, noting that his conduct after the incident pointed to guilt.
The judge described the act as “cruel, inhuman and undeserving of mercy,” especially considering that the deceased had once assisted the defendants.
The court subsequently discharged and acquitted the first defendant, Mr Akpe, for lack of sufficient evidence linking him directly to the killing.
It, however, found Mr Akpan guilty of murder and pronounced the mandatory sentence
“The sentence of the court upon you, Emmanuel Akpan, is that you be hanged by the neck until you be dead, and may the Lord have mercy on your soul,” the judge declared.
Both defendants were arrested in March 2021 after the killing of Mrs Adedayo.
Police findings indicated that the defendants murdered their employer in order to steal valuables, including ATM cards, phones and a generator and then went ahead to set the house ablaze to destroy any evidence.
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