Man to die by hanging for killing four-year-old boy
• Worker allegedly defrauds Alakija of N3m
AHIGH court sitting in Ikirun, Osun State, yesterday sentenced a 25-yearold man, Tajudeen Ganiyu, to death by hanging, for killing a four-year-old boy, Tesleem Bakare. Tajudeen was arraigned in October 2017 on a two-count charge of homicide and criminal conspiracy.
The judge, Jide Falola, gave the verdict after Tajudeen pleaded guilty but claimed he was mentally challenged at the time. Justice Falola stated that the convict could not give a satisfactory evidence of where he has been confirmed or treated for mental illness.
“The accused did not exhibit any sign of insanity in the box as observed by the court. He answered all questions satisfactorily during the proceeding”. He, therefore, ruled that the convict be hanged by the neck till he dies. He advised parents to be extra vigilant and be careful of leaving their children with strangers.
According to the Information Officer, Ministry of Justice, Mr. Opeyemi Bello, the convict took the victim from her grandmother, Mrs. Raliatu Bakare, to go and buy groundnut for him. He was said to have ran away with the boy before he was arrested by some youths.
“The convict was eventually arrested and taken to the palace of Aragbiji of Iragbiji, where he was handed over to the police. He confessed to the police to have killed the boy and led them to the bush at Iragbiji where they found the body of the boy.”
The Legal Aid Council, who represented the convict, Mrs. Esther Napoleon, prayed the court to be merciful in sentencing the con- vict, noting that he is a first offender. The Principal State Counsel, Mr. Jacob Ayanyemi, commended Justice Falola for delivering the judgment without fear.
Meanwhile, billionaire businesswoman, Mrs. Folorunso Alakija, yesterday narrated to a Lagos high court sitting in Ikeja how a worker of her Rose of Sharon Foundation, Vincent Ayewah, allegedly defrauded her of N3 million. Alakija, the prosecution witness, told Justice Hakeem Oshodi that her admin officer defrauded her foundation.
Vincent, who was employed by Alakija as a clerk and admin officer, is standing trial alongside his siblings, Florence Ayewah and Emmanuel Ayewah and four others; Onuwa David, Okoronkwo Chikadibia, Ehizibolo George and Chinyere Awanah.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that Vincent (first defendant) defrauded Alakija’s foundation of funds, forged cheques conniving with his siblings and cohorts to pose to banks as beneficiaries of the foundation.
In her evidence led by EFCC counsel, Mr. M.D Aliyu, the witness said she was called by the treasurer, Gladys Efiozor, on November 13, 2012, that she received a call from Stanbic IBTC that there was a forgery of a cheque.
Aiakija said: “I told her to mail the forged cheque. When I saw it I told her that the signature was not mine. There are three signatories to that account and the forged signature did not match those of the other signatories.”
After her testimony, the judge subsequently adjourned further hearing on the matter till October 25, 2018.