The Supreme Court yesterday upheld the death sentence handed a man, Akinola Olatunbosun for killing a three-month old baby for ritual.
Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, in a lead judgment, held that the lower court was right in sentencing Olatubosun to death by hanging.
On June 28, 2003, a night vigil was held at the All Christian Fellowship Church, Ode Ekiti, Ekiti State. Olatunbosun was among those in attendance. The event ended at about 3am. Some went home. Others slept in the church.
A member, who slept in the church with two of her children, woke up late to find one of them, a three-month old child, Joy Faith Olubodun missing. Olatunbosun, who equally slept in the church could not be found..
He was later arrested by the police. He confessed to stealing the child and that he had killed her.
He took the police to the shallow grave where he buried the corpse.
When the body was exhumed, it was found that the child’s eyes were removed and the throat slashed.
He was tried before the Omuo Ekiti High Court, Ekiti State. Justice Jegede, in a judgment of September 27, 2007 found Olatunbosun guilty of the one count charge of murder and sentenced him to death by hanging.
Dissatisfied, he appealed to the Ilorin (Kwara State) division of the Court of Appeal.
The appellate court upheld the decision of the trial court and dismissed his appeal. He consequently appealed to the apex court.
In yesterday’s judgment, Justice Rhodes-Vivour noted that his confession to the crime was voluntary and held that there was no basis for his appeal.
“The appellant killed because he is a ritualist. He dismembered the body of Faith Joy Olubodun, a three-month old baby. He gouged out her eyes, slit the neck and disemboweled the child in the most harrowing way.”
Justices Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, Christopher Mitchell Chukwuma-Eneh, Clara Bata Ogunbiyi and Kumai Bayang Aka’ahs, who were on the panel that heard the appeal, agreed with Justice Rhodes-Vivours’ position.
