A Kwara State High Court in Ilorin recently handed down a death sentence to Mr. Mohammed Kazeem Beiwa for his involvement in the murder of his neighbor, Mr. Olokose Ojo Olushola, just days before his wedding in 2021.
Alongside Beiwa, his two accomplices, Madu Jeremiah and Mohammed Chatta, received 10 years imprisonment and a N100,000 fine each for their roles in the crime.
The court, however, set Jimoh Abdulateef free due to lack of diligent prosecution. The four defendants were facing eight count charges, including criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, culpable homicide, illegal possession of firearms, and illegal removal of human parts.
During the trial, the prosecution, led by the former state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ibrahim Sulyman, revealed that the accused had kidnapped and killed Olushola in his house before dismembering his body. Shockingly, they had even negotiated for ransom from the victim’s family, despite knowing that Olushola was already dead.
In delivering the ruling, Justice S. M. Akanbi stated that the first defendant, Mohammed Kazeem Beiwa, who orchestrated the tragic incident and was also a neighbor of the deceased, would face the death penalty by hanging. The case highlights the severity of the crime and the consequences the perpetrators now face.
