BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
An Osun State High Court sitting in Ikire on Monday sentenced to death, a 23-year-old student of Lagos State University, Owolabi Adeeko for luring his school mate and girlfriend, Favour Duley Oladele from Ogun State to Osun and killing her for money ritual.
The court, presided over by Justice Christiana Obadina, also sentenced the founder of Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Solution Chapel, Ikoyi-Ile, Isokan Local Government Area of Osun State, Philip Segun, for conspiring with Owolabi to kill Favour, a final year student of LASU.
Owolabi and Favour (deceased) were both students of LASU where they met and had been friends for months.
The convicts were slammed with two count-charge of conspiracy and murder contrary to Sections 324 and 319(1) of the Criminal Code Cap. 34 Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.
The prosecution team from the state Ministry of Justice led by the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Adekemi Bello, who appeared alongside Ajibola Alade and others, had informed the court during trial that the convicts committed the offence on December 8, 2019 and arraigned in the court on November 15, 2021.
During the hearing of the matter, the prosecution counsel had called nine witnesses including a Police Investigating Officer and also tendered several exhibits before the court.
All the convicts testified in their respective defence without calling any other witness.
Bello told the court how Owolabi had asked Favour, his girlfriend, through a phone call on December 8, 2019 to come and meet his uncle at Ikoyi-Ile.
She explained that before that day, Owolabi and his mother, Bola Adeeko had been at the Cherubim and Seraphim Church owned by Prophet Philip Segun to seek quick wealth (money ritual).
The prosecuting counsel had added that the late Favour left her residence in Mowe, Ogun State, upon her boyfriend’s invitation (Owolabi) and arrived in Ikoyi-Ile, Osun State.
Upon the arrival of the deceased final year student to the Ikoyi-Ile community, the prosecutor said Owolabi took Favour to the Prophet Segun’s church where she was killed and dismembered and her heart was cooked for Owolabi’s mother to eat to get wealth while some other parts of her body were used to make “victory soap” for Bola Adeeko as well.
The Solicitor General had also informed the court how the Ogun State Police Command arrested the self-acclaimed prophet alongside Owolabi over the killing of Favour.
She noted that after the arrest, Owolabi had narrated how he used his girlfriend to prepare a ritual meal for money ritual.
Delivering her judgement, Justice Christiana Obadina declared that the prosecuting team had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The judge, therefore, found Prophet Philip Segun and Owolabi Adeeko guilty of murder and conspiracy.
Meanwhile, during allcutors, counsel to the convicts, Adeshina Olaniyan, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing his clients.
Justice Obadina sentenced Prophet Philip Segun and Owolabi Adeeko to death by hanging for murder and 14 years imprisonment for conspiracy.
The judge also sentenced Bola Adeeko to two years imprisonment for eating the cooked heart of the deceased final year student, Miss Favour Duley Oladele.
