The son of Oba Adeyinka Oyekan, Adewale Oyekan, has been sentenced to death by the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja for killing a 62-year-old businesswoman and member of the Peoples Democratic Party, Sikirat Ekun.
Oyekan was sentenced alongside a domestic help, Lateef Balogun, on Monday by Justice Raliat Adebiyi for strangling Ekun and throwing her body into a well.
Oyekan committed the offences around 1am on October 1, 2012, at the deceased’s home at No 5, Babatunde Lalega Street, Omole Phase-1.
Online PUNCH learnt that the deceased, who owned a restaurant, had employed Oyekan as manager, while Balogun was a domestic help for Ekun.
However, Balogun’s job was terminated following a dispute between Ekun and him, which led to a conspiracy between the convicts.
It was gathered that the convicts killed the deceased, threw her body into a well within her premises and took over her business and properties, including her bus, which they sold for N170,000.
The prosecutor, Akin George, had told the court that when an inquiry was made by family and friends about Ekun’s whereabouts, Oyekan informed the family members through a text message from Ekun’s phone that she had travelled to Abuja for the Eid-el-Kabir festival.
He noted that after an intensive search, her corpse was found two months later in December 2012 by well diggers and firefighters, adding that the convicts had dumped a generator, a gas cylinder and other household items over the corpse to conceal it in the 1,000 feet well.
Delivering her judgement on Monday, Justice Adebiyi, in a two-hour judgement, noted that the prosecution had proved the charges of conspiracy to commit murder and murder beyond a reasonable doubt.
She said, “The circumstantial evidence was strong and cogent, the act of the defendants in killing the deceased was intentional and premeditated.
“The court finds that the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt the offence of conspiracy and murder and are accordingly found guilty of the two counts.
“Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011 stipulates the punishment for the offence of murder as follows: Subject to the provisions of any other law, a person who commits the offence of murder shall be sentenced to death.
“Same is the punishment for conspiracy to commit murder as contained in Section 231 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011 and the above-cited provisions of the law does not give the court any discretion whatsoever in sentencing the defendants.
“For this reason, the first and second defendants are hereby sentenced accordingly on each of counts one and two to death by hanging.
“May God the giver of life have mercy on your soul.”
