On Monday, the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan condemned five men to death by hanging after finding them guilty of conspiring to murder and killing a taxi driver named Akeem Shittu.
The convicts are Segun Taiwo (36), Kehinde Ademola (46), Yahaya Adeniyi (45), Chinonso Samson (41), and Opadotun Michael (32). Justice Oyeyemi Ajayi convicted them on a two-count charge involving conspiracy and murder.
In her verdict, Justice Ajayi ruled that the prosecution successfully proved joint involvement, noting that the evidence, including circumstantial details, sufficiently established that the defendants acted together.
She ruled, “I am of the considered view that this court can safely infer conspiracy in the events that led to the death of Akeem Shittu.”
Each defendant was sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit murder, and the court also imposed a death sentence by hanging for the murder count.
Previously, state counsel Mrs. K. K. Oloso informed the court that the incident took place on April 10, 2024, around 8:30 p.m. at Elepe, Arulogun Road, Ojoo, Ibadan.
She explained that Shittu had accidentally hit a motorcycle with two riders, leading to an argument that was later moved to a nearby pub to be resolved.
According to the prosecution, the deceased was asked to pay N50,000 for medical treatment but offered N8,000 instead.
He was allegedly stopped from leaving, stripped naked, and then ran away before being chased, overpowered, and killed with a machete.
His taxi was later found parked in front of the shop owned by one of the convict’s wives.
Oloso noted that the offenses violate Sections 316, 319, and 324 of the Criminal Code Laws of Oyo State 2000.
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