A Kwara State High Court in Ilorin has sentenced three artisans to death by hanging.
The court sentenced the artisans to death after finding that they caused the death of Saheed Lawal, a fellow artisan in Offa in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The three convicts namely Isiaka Jimoh, Lekan Ahmed and Adebayo Saheed are mechanics at Amuyo area in Offa.
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They were charged to court by the state Ministry of Justice for causing Saheed’s death on November 5, 2020, at a mechanic workshop in the Amuyo Area of Offa.
They were tried on a four-count charge of conspiracy and culpable homicide filed before the court on February 9, 2022, by the Kwara State Director of Public Prosecutions, Ayoola Akande.
The charges alleged that the defendants conspired to commit culpable homicide, punishable by death under Section 221 of the Penal Code, CAP. P4, Laws of Kwara State.
The artisans were also accused of attempting to commit culpable homicide by pouring hot red pepper into the ears of another artisan, Hamzat Ibrahim, at the same workshop in Offa, Kwara State.
The three of them were individually represented by Barr. Bodunrin Adewole, Dr. A. S. Ishola and Prince J. O. Ijaodola, respectively.
In his judgement on Thursday, Justice Adebayo Yusuf noted that the prosecution called eight witnesses during the trial of the case while the defendants testified on their own behalf and called three additional witnesses.
While reviewing the evidence given, the judge stated; “The Court heard that on the day of the incident, Saheed Lawal, a motor mechanic whose workshop was located at the address mentioned, was alleged by the first and second convicts (Isiaka Jimoh and Lekan Ahmed) to have stolen Motor oil.
‘They, along with the third convict, Adebayo Saheed (also known as Eje), tortured Lawal until he lost consciousness’, ‘a witness further told the Court.’
“Dr O.M.Abdulsalam who was the Chief Medical Director of State General Hospital, Offa who was one of the prosecution witnesses at the trial also told the Court that he pronounced Saheed dead on arrival at the Hospital after conducting series of medical Examinations on him.”
“Justice Yusuf stated that from the evidence before the Court, the three defendants were responsible for the death of Saheed Lawal who was a co artisan with the defendants at the same workshop in Offa.
“I found the evidence provided by the prosecution witnesses to be credible and was convinced beyond reasonable doubt of the defendants’ responsibility for the death of Saheed Lawal,” he stated.
The court sentenced the three defendants to death by hanging.
“Consequently, the three defendants were found guilty of the charges against them and sentenced to death by hanging. The three defendants are to die by hanging until they breathe their last breath. May God have mercy on them,” the judge stated.
