By DORCAS ELUSOGBON

An Osun State High Court sitting in Ile-Ife on Friday sentenced a 30-year-old man, Agboola Taiwo, to death by hanging for murder.

Taiwo was convicted for killing a 62-year-old woman, Jadesola Olubayo, on Oct. 11, 2023, at a palm oil processing site near the Amula River in Olokemeji Village, Ifetedo, in Ife South Local Government Area.

Delivering judgment, Justice Adedapo Adeniji held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and found the defendant guilty.

The court sentenced the convict to 14 years’ imprisonment for attempted rape (Count I), two years’ imprisonment for indecent assault (Count II), and death by hanging for murder (Count III).

Prosecution counsel, Omotayo Babalola of the Ministry of Justice, told the court that the deceased had gone to the processing site with her granddaughter, Latifat Adeyemo, for palm oil production.

She said the site owner, Ajibade Bashiru, later left them to attend to his nearby farm.

According to the prosecutor, the convict subsequently arrived at the site, stripped himself naked and caused panic.

Babalola said the deceased and her granddaughter tried to flee, but the convict chased and overpowered the elderly woman.

He added that the granddaughter ran to Bashiru’s farm for help, but before they returned, the convict had stripped the deceased and killed her by smashing her face with a stone and a stick.

The prosecutor said the deceased was found in a pool of blood, while the convict fled but was later apprehended near the scene and handed over to the police.

Babalola noted that the offences contravened Sections 319, 359 and 360 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 34, Vol. II, Laws of Osun State, 2002.

Defence counsel, Oluwaseun Akintola-Philip-Idiok and Victoria Ugochi-Layi-Jacob, pleaded for leniency, but the court rejected the plea. (NAN)