An Osun State High Court sitting in Iwo has sentenced an Islamic cleric, Kabiru Ibrahim, to death by hanging for the murder of his 25-year-old client, Lukman Adeleke.
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Delivering judgment on Wednesday, May 28, Justice Lateef Adegoke found the defendant guilty of conspiracy, murder, and theft, contrary to Sections 324, 319(1), and 390 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 34, Laws of Osun State. Ibrahim was also sentenced to seven years imprisonment for the theft charge.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Justice’s Information Officer, Opeyemi Bello, the prosecution team, led by Abiodun Badiora, established that Ibrahim served as a spiritual consultant to Adeleke. The deceased had approached the cleric regarding a land purchase, and Ibrahim instructed him to bring the money for a prayer session before proceeding with the transaction.
Adeleke was never seen again after visiting the cleric’s residence. When confronted, Ibrahim initially denied seeing the victim in over two weeks. However, a local resident contradicted his claim, revealing that he had accompanied Adeleke to Ibrahim’s house on the day of his disappearance.
The family subsequently reported the matter to the police. During interrogation, Ibrahim confessed to the Divisional Police Officer that he had murdered Adeleke. He later led investigators to the Ilesa/Akure expressway, where the victim’s decomposing body was discovered inside a sack with one of his palms severed.
Photographic evidence and Ibrahim’s extrajudicial confession were among the exhibits tendered in court. The prosecution called six witnesses to prove its case.
Justice Adegoke ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted Ibrahim accordingly. While his defence counsel did not respond to the prosecution’s final written address, the court found no mitigating circumstances and imposed the maximum penalty for murder.
Ibrahim is to die by hanging.
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