An Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure has sentenced a vulcaniser, Wasiu Ibrahim, to death by hanging for the murder of Joseph Odunayo over an alleged mobile phone theft.
Delivering judgment, Justice Ademola Enikuomehin found Ibrahim guilty of murder and conspiracy to murder, ruling that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. The court also sentenced him to two years imprisonment for conspiracy.
The prosecution, led by D.S. Msonter-Shagba, told the court that the incident stemmed from the alleged theft of an Infinix mobile phone belonging to Lekan Falohun on December 25, 2024. Odunayo was accused of stealing the device and was subsequently apprehended by Falohun and others, including the convict.
Evidence before the court showed that Odunayo was forced to lead his captors to the person who allegedly purchased the stolen phone. During the process, he reportedly jumped from a moving motorcycle and sustained injuries.
After being recaptured on December 31, 2024, he was allegedly tied up and severely beaten by Ibrahim, Falohun and other suspects who remain at large.
Witnesses testified that the assault continued despite pleas from family members and community leaders. The deceased’s brother, Emmanuel Sunday, told the court that Ibrahim played a leading role in the attack and continued beating Odunayo even after he had collapsed.
Another witness, Bose Ojo, testified that she saw Ibrahim push the victim out of a vehicle and repeatedly beat him with a plank.
The prosecution further stated that when Odunayo was eventually taken to a police station, officers declined to detain him due to his critical condition and instead directed that he be taken to a hospital. He later died at a police clinic.
Although no autopsy was conducted, Justice Enikuomehin held that eyewitness testimonies and the sequence of events sufficiently established that the injuries sustained during the assault led to Odunayo’s death.
The judge dismissed Ibrahim’s claim that he was merely an okada rider hired by Falohun and the deceased and had no involvement in the assault, noting that eyewitness accounts identifying him as one of the attackers remained consistent throughout the trial.
Justice Enikuomehin condemned mob action and extrajudicial punishment, describing them as unacceptable in a society governed by the rule of law. He also urged the police to intensify efforts to apprehend Falohun and other suspects still at large.
Pronouncing the sentence, the judge said, “You, Wasiu Ibrahim, shall be hanged by the neck until you are dead, and may the good Lord have mercy upon you.”
