Driver sentenced to death for murder of lecturer (after 12 years)

by Stanley Azuakola

For murdering a lecturer and stealing his car, a driver, Kehinde Olude was sentenced to death on Thursday by a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja presided over by Justice Olubunmi Oyewole.

Justice Oyewole, while giving his ruling, said he had examined the submissions of the prosecution led by Luqman Sanusi and the defence counsel, Mrs. Femi Ajanaku, and “found the defendant guilty as charged and convicted him accordingly. The only statutory punishment for murder is the death penalty.”

The judgement took a long time coming though, as the murder was committed twelve years ago, precisely on November 29, 2000.

The convicted Olude, murdered his victim, Mr. R.A. Adisa, a senior lecturer at the Federal College of Education, Okene, Kogi state in Alafon village along Lagos/Ibadan Expressway and dispossessed his victim of his new ash coloured Honda car.

According to the prosecution, the deceased, who could not drive, had sought the assistance of the defendant to help him drive the car to Okene.

Olude, who was a driver with the Institute of Management and Technology, Ketu until November 14, 2000, murdered the deceased, and later gave the Honda Car to his friend who sold the car and gave him the money to use process his visa in order to travel abroad.

The justice reportedly said there was incontrovertible evidence proving that Olude murdered the lecturer while driving him from Lagos to Okene in Kogi State.

The incident happened around Alafon Village on the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway.

The justice said the prosecution team led by Luqman Sanusi have proven beyond reasonable doubt that Olude is guilty of the said crime and should be punished accordingly.

He said, “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.”

“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.”

What a tragic end.

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Additional reporting by Isi Esene

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