Killers of Ogun Couple Sentenced to Death

An Ogun State High Court in Abeokuta has sentenced three individuals to death by hanging for the murder of a couple, Kehinde and Bukola Fatinoye, and their son, Oreoluwa, on New Year’s Day in 2023.

Justice Basirat Adebowale delivered the ruling on Monday, convicting Adekambi Lekan, the couple’s former driver, along with Odetola Ahmed and Adeniyi Waheed. The judgment, which lasted over three hours, found them guilty of multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit armed robbery, murder, arson, and perverting the course of justice.

The trio were arraigned alongside six others: Fadairo Temitope, wife of the first defendant; Adekambi Adenike, his mother; Owolaja Aanuoluwapo; Usman Azeez; Abass Odetola; and Adewusi Lukman. While the court sentenced Lekan’s wife to four years in prison for her role, his mother received a one-year sentence.

Justice Adebowale ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt, describing the killings as gruesome. The court held that the couple and their son were brutally murdered before their bodies were set on fire. Rejecting pleas for leniency, the judge stated that the convicts did not deserve mercy, sentencing them to death by hanging or lethal injection, along with other prison terms ranging from 14 years to life imprisonment with hard labor.

The Fatinoye family had attended a crossover service at Christ Anglican Church, Iporo-Ake, Abeokuta, before returning home to what would become a tragic start to the new year. Their assailants stormed their residence, murdered them, and set their remains ablaze. Their son, Oreoluwa, and an adopted child, Olorunyomi Felix, were bound and thrown into the Ogun River.

The family was already mourning the loss of their younger son, Oluwatunmise, who had died in June 2022 while playing football. The police confirmed that the attackers exploited the chaos of the New Year celebrations to carry out the heinous crime.