Twelve years after he murdered a senior lecturer, teaching then at the Federal College of Education, Okene, Kogi State, a driver, Kehinde Olude was yesterday sentenced to death by hanging by Justice Joseph Oyewole of an Ikeja High court.
In the judgment, Justice Oyewole found Olude guilty of a one count charge of murder preferred against him and subsequently condemned him to death by hanging.
The trial judge after reviewing the proceedings held that there was sufficient evidence against the condemned man, who he said murdered his victim, Mr. R. A. Adisa in Alafon Village along Lagos/Ibadan expressway, while driving him from Lagos to Okene, Kogi state.
The Judge submitted that the murder charge against Olude was proved beyond reasonable doubt by the prosecution led by Luqman Sanusi and the defence counsel, Mrs. Femi Ajanaku.
The judge found the defendant guilty as charged and convicted him accordingly.
He held, “In totality therefore, I hold that sufficient evidence exists before the court to come to the inevitable conclusion beyond any reasonable doubt that the defendant murdered the named deceased, Mr. R. A. Adisa as alleged by the prosecution, the defendant is not availed of any defence in respect thereof and I therefore find him guilty as charged and I hereby convict him accordingly.”
In his sentence, Justice Oyewole said, “The only statutory punishment for murder is the death penalty.
“Accordingly, the sentence of the court upon you Kehinde Olude is that you be hanged by the neck until you be dead and may the Lord have mercy on your soul.”
