Justice Dapo Adeniji of Osun State High Court, Ile-Ife, has sentenced a traditionalist, Taiwo Agboola, to death by hanging for attempting to rape and subsequently murdering a 62-year-old grandmother, Olubayo Jadesola, in Ifetedo town of the state.
The presiding judge found Agboola guilty of attempted rape, indecent assault and murder after the prosecution counsel tendered exhibits and called four witnesses over the matter.
The convict, who was arraigned on November 7th 2024, pleaded not guilty to three counts, noting that his statements at the police station were obtained under duress as police dictated all he wrote to him.
The prosecution counsel, Barr Ajibola Alade from Osun State Ministry of Justice, at the trial narrated that “on the 11th day of October, 2023, one Latifat Adeyemo went to a palm oil processing site located at Amula river in Olokemeji village, Ifetedo, Osun State with the victim, who is deceased, 62-year-old Jadesola Olubayo, who happens to be her grandmother, to process palm oil for sale.
“One Ajide Bashiru, who happens to be the owner and operator of the palm oil processing site, joined the duo and the deceased to set them rolling for the work of the day, after which Bashiru left to work on his own farm, away from the palm oil processing site.”
The defence counsel continued that Agboola came into the palm oil processing site and stripped himself naked, an action which the teenager and the deceased witnessed. They both tried running, but the convict caught up with the grandma while her granddaughter escaped to call for help.
However, before arrival of help, the convict had stripped the victim naked and killed her by smashing her face with a big stone and a big stick. The convict was apprehended around the crime scene immediately and handed over to the police.”
Justice Adeniji sentenced Agboola to 14 years imprisonment for attempted rape, 2 years for indecent assault and death sentence for murder.
