Money ritual: Boyfriend, prophet to die by hanging over killing of LASU final-year student
One Philip Segun of Cherubim Church, Solution Chapel, Ikoyi-Ile and Owolabi Adeeko have been sentenced to death by hanging over the killing of Lagos State University, LASU, final year student, Favour Daley-Oladele.
Owolabi, 23, was the boyfriend of the victim who, until her death, was a the final year Sociology student.
He lured Favour to Ikire from Lagos where he killed her.
The duo were convicted and sentenced by Justice Christiana Obadina of an Osun State High Court sitting in Ikire.
Justice Obadina also convicted Adeeko’s mother, Bola Adeeko, 46, for eating human flesh.
Owolabi and Favour had dated for about a month before he lured her to Ikire under the pretence that she should come and visit his uncle while Owolabi, his mother and Prophet Segun had concluded arrangement to use her for money ritual.
Favour was later killed in the church after Owolabi hit her on the head with a pestle and her organs used for ritual before her remains were buried in a shallow grave outside the church on December 8, 2019.
Few weeks later, the body was exhumed by the police after arresting the convicts, who confessed to the murder and were first arraigned before the court on November 15, 2021 on a two-count charge of conspiracy and murder.
During the trial, presecution team from the Ministry of Justice led by Mrs. Adekemi Bello called nine witnesses, including the police investigating officer and tendered several exhibits before the court, while the convicts testified in their respective defence without calling any other witness.
In her judgement, Justice Obadina averred that the prosecuting counsel has proved her case beyond a reasonable doubt and found Prophet Philip Segun and Owolabi Adeeko guilty for murder and conspiracy, while Bola Adeeko was convicted for eating human flesh which is contrary to the law.
In his allocutor plea, defence counsel, Adeshina Olaniyan, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.
The court sentenced Prophet Philip and Owolabi to death by hanging for murder and 14 years imprisonment for conspiracy.
The judge also sentenced Owolabi’s mother, Bola, to two years imprisonment for eating human flesh.
It will be recalled that Owolabi had after his arrest, narrated how he used his girlfriend to prepare a ritual meal for money ritual called “victory soup,” for himself and his mother
