Killers of Unilorin student to die by hanging

By Our reporter

After one and half years of legal battle, an Ilorin High Court, on Tuesday, sentenced killers of Olajide Blessing Omowumi, a 300 level student of the University of Ilorin to death by hanging.

The deceased who would have turned 26 year old this year, was raped and murdered in a merciless manner by the assailants.

The trial judge, Justice Ibrahim Yusuf, who handed down the judgement, convicted 1st, 2nd and 3rd suspects; Abdulazeez Ismail, Ajala Oluwatimileyin and Oyeyemi Omogbolahan, for the offences of culpable homicide and armed robbery ordering that they should die by hanging.

The judge said, “I direct you Abdulazeez Ismail, Ajala Oluwatimileyin and Oyeyemi Omogbolahan, should be hanged by the neck until you’re pronounced dead”.

In the 165 pages judgement which was delivered for 4 hours, the court slammed 2nd convict 14years imprisonment for being guilty of the offence of rape saying the term should run concurrently while the 1st, 4th and 5th bagged 3years imprisonment for the offence of theft.

Earlier, the court has discharged and acquitted 6th, 7th and 8th suspects; Abdullateef Abdulrahman, Daud Bashir Aderayo and Akande Taiye Oladoja on the basis that they are not found guilty of any charges against them.

According to the judgement, the lifeless body of the deceased was found in the afternoon time of the day with bruises all over her body, her hands tied to the back, and a towel covering her face.

The judge added that the conventional statement which could be relied upon on the basis of law, revealed that the deceased struggled with the killers until she was pushed and fell while 1st and 3rd held her down for the 2nd convict to perpetrate the heinous crime of rape.

He said the deceased was raped till death on June 2, 2021 at her guardiance residence in Tanke area, Ilorin and a piece of paper was dropped on her chest with message containing: ‘No forgiveness for Unilorin student’.

According to the judgement, Ismail, Oluwatimileyin and Omogbolahan conspired among themselves to rob the deceased of her Samsung Galaxy A2 Core handset, one black Acer Aspire laptop, one Samsung drive, among several other items.

The killers were tried on 11 count charge bordering on murder, rape, armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms, among others.