Ondo High Court Sentences Three To Death By Hanging In Murder Case

An Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure today sentenced three men to death by hanging for kidnapping, mutilating and killing a baby girl, Rachael Akingboye.
A family sources told Sahareporters, Rachael's body, who was one-and-half years old, was found very close to her mother’s house with her right ear, right eye, right breast and right part of her scalp removed and mutilated.
The three convicted men are Olusegun Obaro, 23, Jonah Lase, 25, and Theophilus Friday, 30.
Justice Olusegun Odusola in his ruling by ordering said three men were found guilty to two counts of kidnapping and murder.
Judge Odusola said, “The offense for which the accused were charged is strict liability offense; death penalty is the punishment for each of the counts.  Having found the first and second accused person guilty of both counts, the third accused is guilty of murder.
Odusola added, “I hereby sentence Olusegun Obaro, Jonah Lase and Theophilus Friday to death by hanging.”
A witness told Sahareporters the victim was kidnapped from her mother during the night by 'Obaro and Lase.'
A leader in the community and one of the vigilante groups where the crime was perpetrated said  the three men were apprehended by the community and handed over to the police after they confessed to the heinous crime at Igbokoda Police Station.
A Judgment sheet obtained by Saharareporters stated that the three men committed the offense on June 17, 2011 at Ikoriho in Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government Area of the state. They were arraigned on a two-count charge of kidnapping and murder.
According to the Criminal law, kidnapping cases is punishable under section 3 of the Ondo State Anti-Kidnapping and abduction law 2010, and the murder charge was said to be contrary to section 316 and punishable under section 319 of the criminal code laws of Ondo State of Nigeria,2006.