Justice S. M. Akanbi of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin has jailed one Mohammed Kazeem Beiwa to death for the horrific murder of his next-door neighbour, Olokose Ojo Olushola in Ilorin a few days before his wedding.
Late Ojo, a staff at the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) unit of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, was kidnapped and murdered by Mohammed and his gang for ritual purposes in 2021.
The court also handed down 10 years imprisonment and a N100,000 fine each to his two other accomplices; Madu Jeremiah and Mohammed Chatta while the fourth defendant, Jimoh Abdulateef was set free by the Court for lack of diligent prosecution.
The four accused persons were facing prosecution before the court on eight count charges having been accused of criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, culpable homicide, illegal possession of firearms, and illegal removal of human parts.
The prosecution led by the former Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice of Kwara State, Senior Ibrahim Sulyman alleged that the four accused persons attacked and kidnapped the victim Olokose Ojo Olushola in his house a few days before his wedding in Ilorin and killed him sometime in 2021.
The accused persons after kidnapping, killing, and dismembering the victim, also negotiated for payment of ransom for his release from the family knowing he was dead already, the prosecution told the court at the trial.
The prosecution at the trial of the case called nine witnesses and tendered several exhibits before the court.
Delivering judgment in the case on Monday, Justice Akanbi found three of the accused persons guilty of four of the criminal charges leveled against them.
“The defendants had caused the death of one Olokose Ojo Olushola sometime in March 2021, a couple of days before the deceased’s wedding ceremony,” Akanbi said.
“The body was mutilated and despite knowing of the death of the said Olushola Olokose, the defendants still demanded ransom from the family of the deceased making it appear their victim was alive and held hostage by kidnappers.
“The first defendant Mohammed Kazeem Beiwa who masterminded the horrific tragedy and was also a neighbour of the deceased was sentenced to death by hanging life imprisonment, and 10 years imprisonment with N100,000 fine on different counts.”
It was gathered that on Monday 8, 2021, the victim, who was at the peak of preparations for his wedding that was to hold in Akure, Ondo State the following weekend, March 13, 2021, gave N350,000 to the convict to buy three cows for him as discussed.
Mohammed, who hails from Patigi in Kwara North had previously convinced and tricked the deceased that cows are very cheap in his area, to which he agreed.
In the early hours of the fateful day, the duo travelled to Patigi, with the intention of buying the cows. The groom-to-be planned to return to IIorin the same day and then take the animals to Akure the following day for the wedding.
The bridegroom was attacked in the bush in Patigi by other members of the gang who were already laying ambush.
They dispossessed him of other valuables including the N350,000, and his phone through which they called his relations that he had been kidnapped and demanded N12m ransom. After much pleadings by his relations, the gang agreed to N3m to be paid before he could be released for his wedding.
After collecting the ransom, they also took about N1.2m from the victim’s account including his March 2021 salary before killing him.
