The Osun State High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, has sentenced three persons to death for killing a 400-level student of Osun State University, UNIOSUN, Timileyin Sonibare.
They are AbdulRafiu Zakariyahu who is 19 years old, Yusuf Kareem and Ayuba Ibrahim.
They were arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy, murder and misconduct.
The offence was committed on June 26, 2017 at Oke Baale area of Osogbo, Osun State.
Justice Kudirat Akano who delivered the judgement on Monday said it had been proved beyond doubt that the three people caused the death of Timileyin Sonibare.
The judge held that Zakariyahyu, in his confessional statement, had proved the case against the other persons that they had a hand in the killing.
The judge said Zakariyahu and the other accused persons were merciless when they killed Timileyin Sonibare with pestle, cut his head and roasted it with intent to use it for ritual.
Zakariyahu, Kareem and Ibrahim were therefore sentenced to seven years imprisonment for conspiracy, two years imprisonment for misconduct.
For murder, they were sentenced to death.
The court however ruled that on the fourth and fifth accused persons, Isiaq Yusuf and AbdulKareem Adeoti, there was no cogent evidence before the court that they participated in the killing of the student.
During the arraignment, the accused persons were said to have carried out the crime against the provisions of Sections 516, 319(1) and 519 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II, Laws of Osun State, 2002.
They, however, pleaded not guilty.
Their counsel, A.A. Alayoku, appealed to the court to be lenient with the accused, arguing that they had learnt their lesson in prison custody while the trial lasted.
It would be recalled that Timileyin Sonibare’s body was dismembered after he was killed.
His head and the two wrists were cut off and his remains was dumped in the bush.
The friends of the murdered students reported a case of missing person to the police on June 27 at 7:45pm.
The information provided by the friends of the murdered students led to the arrest of the accused.
