The Osun State High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, has sentenced a 19-year-old boy, AbdulRafiu Zakariyahu and two other persons, Yusuf Kareem and Ayuba Ibrahim, to death for killing a 400 Level student of Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Timileyin Sonibare.

The accused persons were arraigned on three-count charges of conspiracy, murder and misconduct committed on June 26, 2017 at Oke Baale area, Osogbo for the crime.

The State Prosecution said their offences contravened provisions of Sections 516, 319(1) and 519 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II, Laws of Osun State, 2002 but the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Counsel to the accused, A. A. Alayoku, urged the court to be lenient with his client on the consideration because the boy was a first offender and very young. The lawyer said Zakariyahu and his accomplices have learnt their lesson while on remand in prison for the period of his trial.

Delivering the judgment on Monday, Justice Kudirat Akano said with the totality of evidence and statements of the accused, Zakariyahu, Kareem and Ibrahim caused the death of the late student.

Justice Akano held that Zakariyahu had admitted in his confessional statement that he killed Timileyin and that the prosecution has proved the case against the remaining accused persons as accomplices in the killing.

The judge said Zakariyahu and his friends did not show any mercy to the deceased when they killed him with pestle, cut his head and roasted it with intent to use it for ritual.

The court said there was no cogent evidence before the court that the fourth and fifth accused, Isiaq Yusuf and AbdulKareem Adeoti were involved in the killing of the undergraduate student.

Justice Akano sentenced Zakariyahu Kareem and Ibrahim to seven years imprisonment for conspiracy, two years imprisonment for misconduct then and sentenced them to death for murder.

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