Ilorin, Dec. 14, 2022 – Two students, Abdulazeez Ismail and Ajala Oluwatimileyin, have been sentenced to death over the murder of a 300-level undergraduate of the University of Ilorin, Blessing Olajide.
A Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin and presided over by Justice Ibrahim Yusuf sentenced the two students to death in Ilorin on Tuesday.
Olajide was raped and killed by the two students on June 2, 2021 at her sister’s house in Tanke area of Ilorin, Kwara State.
The judge also sentenced another student, Oyeyemi Omogbolahan, to life improvement, while two siblings: Abdulkarim Shuaib (aka Easy) and Kareem Rasheed (Rashworld), were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment each for withdrawing money from the Guarantee Trust Bank account of the deceased a few days after she was killed.
Three others, Abdullateef Abdulrahman, Daud Adebayo (Bashman) and Akande Oladoja, were discharged and acquitted by the court.
Delivering judgement, Justice Yusuf said he found the three students guilty of conspiracy, rape and murder of Olajide, while two telephone repairers, who helped to unlock her telephone and assisted in the withdrawal of money from her account, were convicted for conspiracy and stealing.
He said 13 people testified for the prosecution, while 16 witnesses, including the accused persons, were called to testify for the defendants.
The judge said the prosecution proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.
“While the prosecution established the ingredients of conspiracy and armed robbery against the first three accused persons, it proved beyond reasonable doubt that injury was inflicted on the deceased as she was raped to death.
“I direct that Abdulazeez Ismail and Ajala Moses Oluwatimileyin be hanged by the neck until they are pronounced dead,” he pronounced. (GBN)
