BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
An 18-year-old-boy, Gbadebo Jamiu, and three other suspects have been remanded in the Ilesa Correctional Centre for allegedly killing a man identified as Sodiq Jamiu.
Gbadebo and other young defendants namely Folasayo Raphael, 22; Jimoh Toheeb, 25; and Adeniran Abdulsamad, 23; accused of hacking Sodiq to death, were arraigned at an Osogbo Magistrate’s Court, Osun State.
Police prosecutor, Inspector John Idoko, informed the court that the defendants committed the offence on June 19, 2022 at about 1pm at Ogiyan Palace area, Ejigbo in Ejigbo Local Government Area of the state.
Idoko explained that the defendants attacked Sodiq and inflicted machete cuts on his left hand, an act which caused him grievous harm and consequently resulted in his death.
The charge obtained in court read, that “Folasayo Raphael, Gbadebo Jamiu, Jimoh Toheeb, Adeniran Abdulsamad and others now at large, on the 19th of June, 2022 at about 1pm at Ogiyan Palace area, Ejigbo, Osun State in the Osogbo Magisterial District, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: murder and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 324 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.
“You (defendants) and others now at large, on the same date, time, place and in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did unlawfully kill one Sodiq Jamiu by inflicting a deep cut on his head with an axe, machete/cutlass and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.
“You did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: grievous harm and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.
“You, with intent to disfigure or disable, did unlawfully inflict machete cuts on the left hand of one Sodiq Semiu which caused him harm and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 355 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.”
Owing to lack of jurisdiction to hear murder cases and other cases relating to capital offences, the court pended the plea for bail by the accused persons.
Consequently, the presiding Magistrate A. A. Adeyeba, ordered that the four suspects should be remanded in prison till August 4 for mention.
