The Akure Division of the Ondo State High Court has delivered a landmark verdict, sentencing commercial motorcyclist Dare Ojo to death by hanging for the rape and murder of 11-year-old Zainab Adeyemo. The horrific crimes occurred on July 17, 2020, along the Ese/Irun-Akoko road in Akoko North-East Local Government Area of the state.
Ojo committed the offenses while conveying Adeyemo to a market in Irun-Akoko on his motorcycle, having been hired by the girl’s mother.
The Verdict and Evidence
When the girl failed to arrive on time, her worried parents contacted market colleagues and Ojo, who falsely claimed he had dropped the girl off. A community search party was organized, and the deceased’s naked body was later found in a bush along the Ese/Irun-Akoko road.
In his verdict, Justice Yemi Fasanmi ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt. The court relied heavily on:
- Pathologist’s Findings: Evidence from a pathologist at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, which confirmed signs of struggle and forceful penetration.
- Police Investigation: Testimony confirming that Ojo led officers directly to the scene of the crime.
- Doctrine of Last Seen: The judge invoked the doctrine of last seen, stating: “The accused was the last person who saw Zainab Adeyemo alive. There was no other person who saw her after he took her away.”
The Sentence
Despite a plea for leniency from the defense counsel, Kolawole Olusegun Oluwa, the court imposed two sentences:
- Life Imprisonment for the rape offense, under Section 31(1–3) of the Ondo State Child’s Rights Law, 2007.
- Death by Hanging for the murder offense, under Section 319(1) of the Criminal Code, Cap 37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State, 2006.
Afolabi Victory Bolanle, Director in the Ondo State Ministry of Justice and prosecution counsel, hailed the judgment, stating that justice had been served for the deceased, her family, and the state.
“Though the child is gone, today she got a judgment. Justice was served for the victim, the family, the state, and even the defendant because he was convicted of the offences he committed. That is the beauty of the law,” Bolanle said.
Source: Punch Online
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