An Osun State High Court sitting in Iwo has sentenced three men to death by hanging for the murder and dismemberment of a 52-year-old woman, Asiata Yekeen, in Ile-Ogbo community.
The convicts, identified as Muideen Tunji, Yusuf Muslim and Rabiu Fatai, were found guilty of conspiracy, murder and unlawful possession of human parts.
The court held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
According to evidence presented during the trial, the deceased was reported missing after family members and acquaintances could no longer reach her.
Concerned residents alerted the police and operatives of the Osun Amotekun Corps, leading to an investigation that uncovered her last known movements.
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The prosecution told the court that Tunji, who reportedly owed the deceased money, invited her to his residence under the guise of refunding the debt.
When she arrived, she met the other two defendants. The court heard that the woman was later killed, after which her body was dismembered and buried in a shallow grave near the residence.
Suspicion arose within the community when residents recalled seeing the victim enter Tunji’s house shortly before she went missing.
This prompted a search that eventually led to the arrest of the suspects. Investigators also recovered parts of the deceased’s body during the operation.
The prosecution called several witnesses and tendered exhibits, including confessional statements from the defendants.
Defence lawyers argued that the evidence was insufficient and largely circumstantial, urging the court to dismiss the charges.
However, in her judgment, Justice Fatimah Sodamade ruled that the evidence before the court was credible and convincing.
She convicted the defendants on all counts and sentenced them to four years’ imprisonment for conspiracy, five years for unlawful possession of human parts, and death by hanging for murder.
The judgment has drawn widespread attention, with many residents describing it as a firm stand against violent crime in the state.