Man gets court sentence to die for killing fellow tenant during an argument
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
A certain Sunday Omoniyi, a middle aged man, has been sentenced to death by hanging for stabbing to death fellow tenant Michael Oyebanji during an argument.
Omoniyi was arraigned on a one-count charge of murder at an Ondo High Court in Akure, which the prosecutor said contravenes Section 316 and punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap 37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State, 2006.
A witness, Ismaila Adefaka, the landlord, confirmed to the court that both Omoniyi and Oyebanji were his tenants and that the murder occurred on 23 July 2022 at about 6.30am at 4, Canaanland, Ijoka Road in Akure.
“On that day,” he recounted in court, “I suddenly heard noises which forced me to trace the uproar to the defendant’s apartment where I met the deceased in the pool of his blood after he was reportedly stabbed by the defendant with a knife.”
Adefaka said he lodged a formal complaint with the police after the deceased was confirmed dead at the hospital.
Three other co-tenants – Adedeji Gift, Adedugbe Opeyemi, and Aremu Opeyemi – separately told the court that the defendant and the deceased had an argument that morning over the closing of the door to the house, but the argument was resolved and everyone went their way.
One of them narrated, however, that “after we left the room, we suddenly heard the deceased’s voice and rushed back into the room, only to meet him on the floor in the pool of his blood and the defendant with a knife in his hand stained with blood.”
Opeyemi said Omoniyi confessed to have stabbed Oyebanji in retaliation for a fist blow the deceased gave him.
Police prosecutor Fisayo Oladepo, an Inspector, told the court that Omoniyi confessed to have committed the crime after his arrest by detectives.
Justice W. Olamide ruled that the prosecution proved the case of murder against Omoniyi and sentenced him to death by hanging.
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