Herdsman to Die by Hanging For Murder In Ekiti

An Ekiti State High Court sitting Thursday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, sentenced one Mohammodu Haruna to 25 death by hanging for his colleague's murder.

The prosecutor, Shirley Atanel, said the crime was committed in February 2018 at Odo-Uro, Iyin-Ekiti in the state's local government area of Irepodun / Ifelodun where the convicted herdsman killed a colleague Mohamadu Usman in contravention of section 516 of the Criminal Code Act CAP C16, Ekiti State Laws 2012.

According to the eyewitness who gave his testimony in the court said,

“I saw two herdsmen coming with their cows while I was on my motorcycle, I later discovered that one of them was returning a blood-stained matchet into his sheath and the other one lied face down in the pool of his own blood with matchet cut on his neck.”

Pronouncing the death sentence, Justice Adekunle Adeleye said,

“there are no surrounding circumstances that destroy the cogency of the circumstantial evidence led against the accused. He is caught in the web of the last seen theory. In the result, I find the defendant guilty as charged. He is sentenced to death by hanging.”

The prosecutor called 4 witnesses, including the Investigative Police Officer, while tendered exhibits were, the accused confessional statements, butchered neck images and a blood-stained matchet.

The accused spoke via his lawyer Mr Yinka Opaleke in his own defence and did not call any witnesses.