Five persons have been sentenced to death by an Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan after they were found guilty of killing a taxi driver, named Akeem Shittu at Arulogun, Akinyele Local Government Area last year.
The court presided over by Justice Oyeyemi Ajayi delivered the judgment on Monday.
The convicts, Segun Taiwo (36), Kehinde Ademola (46), Yahaya Adeniyi (45), Chinonso Samson (41) and Opadotun Michael (32) were responsible for the conspiracy and murder of Shittu.
The presiding Judge submitted that the court could infer conspiracy in the acts that led to the death of Shittu.
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He, therefore, imposed a 20-year prison sentence on each defendant for conspiracy as well as sentenced them to death by hanging on a second count charge of murder.
Earlier, ther state Counsel, K. K. Oloso, had narrated how a minor road incident spiralled into a deadly attack.
She explained that about 8:30 p.m on April 10, last year, on Elepe, Arulogun Road in Ojoo, Ibadan, the defendants and others still at large attacked Shittu after he hit a motorcycle carrying two passengers.
“The parties reportedly moved to a nearby pub to settle the matter. There, the motorcyclists’ group allegedly demanded N50,000 for treatment, but Shittu managed to offer only N8,000.
“He was prevented from leaving, stripped naked, and although he managed to flee briefly, he was later cornered and hacked to death with a machete.”
Investigators later discovered his taxi and handkerchief abandoned in front of a shop belonging to one of the convicts’ wives.
The prosecution told the court that the offences are contrary to sections 316 and punishable under Section 319, and 324 of the Criminal Code Laws of Oyo State 2000.