Osun Court Sentences Herdsman, Four Accomplices to Death for Kidnapping, Murder

In a ruling on Tuesday, July 2, an Osun State High Court sitting in Ede sentenced Issa Ibrahim, a middle-aged herdsman, and four accomplices to death for the kidnapping, murder, and dismemberment of his father, Adamu Ibrahim, over an inheritance dispute.

The court found Issa Ibrahim, along with Lateef Bello, Abdulrahman Soliu, Bello Ibrahim, and Jolaanabi Saheed guilty of the heinous crimes. The group had been arraigned on October 28, 2021, on four counts of conspiracy, murder, and kidnapping, alongside Ajibola Saheed, Jolaanabi’s mother. All had pleaded not guilty.

Assistant Director Moses Faremi from the Osun State Ministry of Justice led the prosecution, calling three witnesses, including two sons of the deceased and a police officer. Key evidence presented included items recovered from Jolaanabi’s house in Owode-Ede, where Adamu Ibrahim was held after being kidnapped on April 17, 2017.

According to Faremi, the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of N10 million, later reducing it to N3 million. The ransom was delivered in Sagamu, Ogun State. Tragically, when the victim recognized his abductors after the veil covering his face fell off, the kidnappers killed and dismembered him, disposing of his body parts in the Osun River to cover their crime.

In her judgment, Justice Kudirat Akano affirmed that the prosecution successfully established the convicts’ guilt through conventional statements and eyewitness testimony. The judge highlighted the incriminating statements made by Issa Ibrahim, who revealed that his father’s refusal to grant him his birthright led to the kidnapping plot for either money or a cow.

Ajibola Saheed was acquitted due to insufficient evidence linking her to the crimes. However, Justice Akano sentenced the other convicts to 14 years imprisonment for conspiracy, death for murder, and 14 years for kidnapping, with the sentences to run concurrently.