The Osun State High Court sitting in Ile-Ife has sentenced a 30-year-old man, Taiwo Agboola, to death by hanging for the murder of a 62-year-old woman, Mrs Jadesola Olubayo.
Justice Adedapo Adeniji delivered the judgment on Friday after finding Agboola guilty of murder, attempted rape and indecent assault.
The court held that the prosecution successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The incident occurred on October 11, 2023, at a palm oil processing site located near Amula River in Olokemeji Village, Ifetedo, in Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State.
According to court proceedings, the deceased had gone to the palm oil processing factory with her granddaughter, Latifat Adeyemo, before the tragic attack took place.
Agboola was arraigned before the court on November 7, 2024, on a three-count charge bordering on attempted rape, indecent assault on a female and murder, contrary to Sections 359, 360 and 319(1) of the Criminal Code Cap 34, Laws of Osun State, 2002.
During the trial, the prosecution team from the Osun State Ministry of Justice, led by Ajibola Alade and Omotayo Babalola, called four witnesses to establish the case against the defendant.
The defendant, however, testified in his own defence and did not call any witness.
While narrating what happened on the day of the incident, Adeyemo told the court that she accompanied her grandmother to the palm oil processing site where they were working before Agboola suddenly appeared.
She explained that the defendant allegedly removed all his clothes and advanced toward them, causing panic and fear.
According to her testimony, she and her grandmother immediately attempted to escape from the area after seeing the suspect naked.
However, Agboola reportedly chased after them and eventually caught up with the elderly woman.
Adeyemo further told the court that she managed to run to the owner of the processing site, identified as Ajide Bashiru, to seek help.
She said when they both returned to the scene, they found the deceased lying on the ground after suffering severe injuries.
The witness told the court that the suspect had stripped the deceased naked and repeatedly attacked her with a stone and stick.
The injuries inflicted on the 62-year-old woman eventually led to her death at the scene.
The shocking killing reportedly threw the community into mourning, with residents expressing anger over the brutal manner in which the woman was murdered.
The prosecution also informed the court that Agboola initially fled the scene after committing the crime.
However, local residents later apprehended him near the area before handing him over to the police for investigation and prosecution.
During the proceedings, the prosecution maintained that the actions of the defendant clearly showed criminal intent and urged the court to convict him accordingly.
Counsel to the defendant, Oluwaseun Akintola Philip-Idiok and Victoria Ugochi Layi-Jacob, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.
The defence lawyers appealed for leniency, asking the court to consider the circumstances surrounding the case before delivering judgment.
But in his ruling, Justice Adeniji held that the evidence presented before the court, including eyewitness accounts and other materials tendered by the prosecution, clearly established the guilt of the defendant.
“The prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt,” the judge ruled while delivering judgment.
Justice Adeniji thereafter convicted Agboola on all three counts.
The court sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment for attempted rape, two years imprisonment for indecent assault and death by hanging for murder.
Under Nigerian law, death sentences passed by state high courts are subject to appeal at higher courts. Convicts sentenced to death also remain on death row pending the outcome of appeal processes and the approval of execution warrants by the appropriate authorities.
The judgment has drawn reactions from residents of Ifetedo and neighbouring communities, many of whom described the killing as cruel and disturbing.
Gender rights advocates and community leaders have also continued to express concern over the rising cases of violence against women and elderly persons across the country.
In recent years, several states in Nigeria have witnessed growing cases of sexual violence, assault and murder involving women and vulnerable persons, prompting renewed calls for stricter law enforcement and stronger protection measures.
Residents of the community also commended law enforcement agencies and prosecutors for ensuring that the matter was thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.
The case is one of several criminal trials concluded recently in Osun State as security agencies and the judiciary intensify efforts to tackle violent crimes and improve justice delivery in the state.
Justice Adeniji assured that the court would continue to uphold justice without fear or favour, especially in cases involving the protection of human life and dignity.