By Shina Abubakar – Osogbo
Two persons, Elijah Oyebade, 25 and Jelili Raji, 35, were yesterday sentenced to death by hanging by an Osun State High Court, sitting in Ikirun, for the murder of a 400-level student of Osun State University, Rofiat Adebisi.
Elijah was a commercial driver, who admitted to picking the lady while Raji is a herbalist, who was said to have commissioned Elijah to bring any lady to him for ritual.
The deceased body was found by the roadside along Egbeda/Iragbiji road on December 23, 2016.
Justice Oyejide Falola, who presided over the matter, found the two persons guilty after over two years of the commencement of the matter.
They were first arraigned alongside Yusuf Ajibade, 28, on November 14, 2017, on a three-count charge of conspiracy to commit murder, murder and stealing preferred against them.
During the trial, prosecution counsel called 5 witnesses and tendered several exhibits before the Court while convicts testified for themselves.
The Prosecution Counsel, Barrister Kareem Adekilekun, who appeared along with Kemi Oyolola,
had earlier told the court that the defendants murdered one Miss Rofiat Adebisi, a 400-level student of Osun University, Ipetu-Ijesha, on Dec. 22 2016.
He said Damilola Adebisi boarded a Golf car with number plates: Lagos FKJ 636 DL driven by Elijah Oyebode.
But the following day, he added that Rofiat’s body was found by the roadside along Egbeda/Iragbiji road in Boripe Local Government Area of the state and upon investigation, her iPhone was traced to one Qadri.
He added that Qadri led the Police to Yusuf, who sold the phone to him on the instruction of Elijah, the commercial driver.
Meanwhile, Elijah in his statement said, “Raji, who is also known as Ifa ask me to supply him a maid. He also gave me the charm to touch any lady I intended to bring for him and assured me that she will not argue with me.
I delivered Rofiat Adebisi, a 400 level student of UNIOSUN, to him at his shrine and he paid me the sum of N10,000.
He also confessed to have used the charm on the deceased while she tried to put her luggage in the car trunk.
He also told the court that the confessional statements of the three convicted persons were corroborated by the police, whose report showed that Oyebode had sex with deceased before taking her to Raji’s shrine.
Counsel to convicts, Suleiman Bello, pleaded with Court to temper Justice with mercy.
But delivering his judgement, Justice Oyejide said the prosecution counsel proved his case against the convicts beyond reasonable doubt.
He, however, acquitted the second convict, Ajibade, of a two-count charge of murder and conspiracy but convicted him on the third count charge of receiving stolen property.
The judge sentenced him to two years imprisonment, while Oyebode and Raji were sentenced to death by hanging.
He also said that the shrine where the deceased was murdered be forfeited to the state government.
