An herb seller, Jelli Kareem, an Okada rider, Oludayo Oludele, and an electrician, Awodeji Muyiwa, have been sentenced to death for the robbery and murder of corps member Adebayo Mukaila in Osogbo, Osun State. The convicts, who pleaded not guilty during their arraignment on October 8, 2020, were tried alongside a vulcanizer, Anifowose Buliaminu, accused of purchasing stolen recharge cards from them.
Prosecutor Muyiwa Ogunleye, representing the Ministry of Justice, presented evidence from four witnesses, including the deceased's 10-year-old daughter, a family member, a pathologist, and an investigative police officer. The prosecution also submitted an autopsy report and other exhibits. Ogunleye detailed that the crime occurred on January 28, 2020, in the Omo West Area, where Kareem, Oludele, and Muyiwa conspired to rob and murder Mukaila.
Despite the defense counsel's arguments that the prosecution failed to prove the charges, Justice Adedapo Adeniji of the State High Court in Ile-Ife found the prosecution's case convincing. The court ruled that the evidence provided established the defendants' guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Consequently, Justice Adeniji sentenced Kareem, Oludele, and Muyiwa to death, while Anifowose Buliaminu was discharged and acquitted of receiving stolen property.
