Chidiebere’s killer to die by hanging

By Bamidele Kolawole
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The killer of a 19-year-old Chidiebere Confidence, one Saliu Odunayo has been sentenced to death by hanging.

The convict was charged for murder on November 27, 2018

He pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him when it was read to him before hearing commenced.

The prosecuting counsel, Mr John Dada Joshua, told the court that one Chidiebere Confidence  was brutally murdered by the convict.

She was said to  have been stabbed on the left side of her  chest close to the heart region and on  other parts of her body with a kitchen knife by the convict. The prosecution called seven witnesses and tendered five exhibits such as knife, bond for the release of android phone, statement of the convict  and attestation form at state CIID, Medical/Autopsy report, and statement of DW2- Saliu Noah at State CIID”.

One of the  witnesses Ayo Adeala testified in the court that the deceased sometime came to her  shop and told her to intervene and plead with the convict to release her seized phone.

She told the court that when she got home to plead with him, he refused to release the phone and told her to go back to her shop.

She later said she left the two of them  at the passage of the building.

According to her, they later moved away from the passage towards the kitchen,  and  as she was going back to her shop, she heard a noise indicating there was a fight.

She said that she discovered  the deceased and the convict  fighting, saying that she tried to stop the fight, but they refused.

She told the court that  her neighbours later told her that the deceased had been stabbed. The deceased was then taken to the nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead.

 A medical expert, Dr. Adewale Oluseyi Emmanuel, based in Akure, Ondo State also  who told the court that Chidiebere was brought into his hospital without any evidence of life in her .

According to him, Chidiebere  was rushed to his Hospital dead, following the history that she was stabbed on her chest and other parts of her body by her boyfriend on May 15, 2018.

He further told the court that the corpse was then handed over to the police for necessary action.

He said that the hospital was located about 600 metres away from where the incident happened and there were  injuries on arm and the chest showing lacerations.

A police officer serving at Emure-Ile, Inspector Adaralewa Opeyemi who also testifyed said that the defendant was arrested by him on May, 15, 2018, when he was escaping from the scene of the crime after killing the deceased.

He said: “I was coming back from training, I saw many people gathered and shouting “o ti pa o” meaning “he had killed her”. I went to enquire what happened, I was told a boy (defendant)  stabbed a lady Chidiebere (the deceased), the person whom I enquired from pointed to the defendant running towards Falodu junction where he was arrested by me. I took him to ‘B’ Division, Oke-Aro, Akure and handed him to them for further investigation.”

The Investigation police officer (IPO) of the case at the ‘B’, Inspector Oguntona Isiaka told the court that one Inspector Adaralewa Opeyemi arrested the defendant while attempting to escape after  committing  the offence, saying he later visited the scene of the crime in company of  Divisional Crime Officer, SP Adedapo Olayinka and the kitchen knife with blood stains was recovered at the scene of the crime.

He told the court that the case was later transferred to State CIID for discreet investigation on the instruction of the State Commissioner of police.

The prosecuting counsel later told the court that “My Lord, the extract from the statement of Dw1 and Exhibit ‘E’, is abundantly clear that the defendant intended to kill the deceased by the 4 (four) stab wounds inflicted on her especially on the part of her body, the left side chest close to the heart region and we respectfully urge the court to so hold”.

The presiding Justice S.A Bola, convicted him while placing reliance on the evidence brought before the court by the deceased prosecution such as testimony of witnesses the medical evidence brought by Dr Adewale Oluseyi Emmanuel of the Peace Hospital coupled with police investigations.

Following his conviction, Bola ordered the convict to died by hanging.