Lagos court sentences 33-yr-old to death for killing brother

Justice Raliat Adebiyi found Abiodun guilty of murder contrary Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

Abiodun was said to have killed Wale, who was a serving Naval officer in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, with a broken bottle at their family house on Oritse Street, Imude, in the Oto-Awori Local Council Development Area of Lagos State during an argument over the property.

Wale had visited the family home to settle a dispute over their late father’s property which was allegedly taken over by Abiodun.

Four witnesses were called by the Prosecutor, O.R Ahmed-Muil during the trial.

One of the witnesses, Mr. Sunday Abogunrin, Abiodun’s landlord, told the court that the convict was a troublesome fellow who fought his siblings at every slight provocation.

Abogunrin said: “I have known the defendant since he was a child; I know his entire family.

“On February 20, 2013, around 2am, I heard dogs barking and people around were afraid to come out to see what was making the dogs bark for fear of robbers. Later, people came out and I came out as well.

“I later went to investigate the cause of the noise. I noticed someone dragging something into a nearby bush. I initially wanted to raise the alarm, but instead, I turned on my torch and the person ran towards the defendant’s house.

“I immediately followed to see who it was, only to see the defendant washing his hands, which were covered in blood, near a well. I quickly alerted the baale of the community, who then ordered youths to apprehend him.”

According to Abogunrin, the convict broke his sister’s hand and smacked his elder brother’s head while attempting to escape, adding that he was later apprehended by some Oodua People’s Congress members who took him to the baale’s palace.

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In his own testimony, the Investigating Police Officer, ASP Uthman Lamidi, said he saw the deceased’s body at the scene and that upon interrogation, the convict admitted to killing his younger brother with a broken bottle and that he was about to bury the corpse when he was intercepted.

Lamidi said: “I handcuffed the defendant and took him away. The defendant followed me willingly and confessed to killing his younger brother. His confession was read to him and he signed it, while I countersigned. In the course of investigation, we also discovered that the defendant had threatened to kill his late brother several times before actually carrying out the act.”

In her judgment, Justice Adebiyi held that the prosecution had proved a case of murder beyond reasonable doubt against the defendant and consequently sentenced him to death.

She said: “The defendant is hereby found guilty and convicted of the murder of his brother, Allen Wale.

“You, Allen Abiodun, is hereby sentenced to death. May God, the giver of life, have mercy on you.”

 

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