An Osun State High Court sitting in Ile Ife has sentenced one Fatai Jimoh and his wife, Lateefat Jimoh, to death by hanging for armed robbery and the murder of Bukola Taiwo of Ikeketu, Ile Ife.
Mrs. Taiwo was said to have gone on a business trip to Ile Ife on August 12, 2009, and slept over at the Jimohs’ apartment.
The victim, a palm oil dealer, used to travel from Ibadan, Oyo State, to buy palm oil at Ile Ife.
She was said to have bought 70 jerry cans of palm oil and kept them at the apartment of the couple, who reportedly sold 48 jerry cans and promised to pay her back after she discovered the theft.
The couple, however, attacked the woman, who later died in a hospital.
They were arraigned on June 2, 2014, on three counts of murder, conspiracy to murder and armed robbery respectively, which violated Section 316 (1), with punishment under Section 319, Cap 34, Law of Osun State and Section 1 (1) 2 (a) of the Robbery and Fire Arms (Special Provision) Act, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2000.
The couple had pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
During the trial, the prosecutor called four witnesses and tendered 10 exhibits.
Fatai, the court was told, strangulated the victim, while his wife smashed her head with a hammer after which the couple stole the victim’s purse and removed the sum of N48,780.
Principal State Counsel, Faremi Moses, presented the hammer which the couple used on the deceased and other exhibits before the court.
The witnesses called by the prosecuting counsel were a police inspector, a pathologist from the University College Hospital, Ibadan, the Baale of Ikeketu and a neighbour, who witnessed what happened.
Justice Onibokun, in his judgment, said the wife’s confessional statement to the police was taken as paramount and her confession was true.
The judge found the husband and wife guilty of two out of the three charges preferred against them.
“The evidence of the prosecutor is cogent, reliable and credible, and the accused are therefore found guilty of murder and armed robbery after careful examination of the facts before the court, Onibokun said.
“I hereby sentence them to death by hanging for murder and armed robbery, while they are discharged for conspiracy.”
