By Ise-Oluwa Ige
An Ekiti State High Court in Ado Ekiti on Thursday pronounced a verdict of death by hanging on a 28-year-old man, Ayodeji Alomoge, for killing his wife’s lover, Ayomide Ogunleye.
The trial judge in the matter, Justice Jubril Aladejana gave the verdict after convicting Ayodeji of lone murder charge preferred against him.
BAR & BENCH WATCH reports that the convict was arraigned before the state high court in April 2023 on one count of murder and he pleaded not guilty.
Following his plea of not guilty, the high court set a date for trial in the case.
The matter went on trial with both parties given adequate time to present their cases to court including witnesses.
It was the case of the police in the charge sheet that Alomoge on June 21, 2022 at Ikere-Ekiti within the jurisdiction of the court did murder Ayomide Ogunleye for having an affair with his wife.
Specifically, the prosecution had told the court that the offence was contrary to the provisions of Section 234 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
In the proof of evidence attached to the charge sheet, the prosecution had relied on the statement volunteered to the Police by the father of the deceased, Ige, who said:” my wife called me on phone around 12:30 a.m. crying profusely.
”She told me that my son was attacked and beaten by Alomoge and his gang, I rushed down to the place, I met my son in a pool of blood.
” I saw Alomoge and asked him the reason for his action, he said Ayomide has been having an affair with his wife and he told me that he warned my son to stop or else he will kill him.
“I took him to a nearby hospital and later to the University Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara where he later died”.
To prove his case, the prosecutor, Kunle-Shina Adeyemo called five witnesses and tendered the defendant’s statements, pictures of the deceased and medical report of cause of death as exhibits.
The defendant also spoke in his own defence through his lawyer Adeyinka Opaleke who merely pleaded to court to temper justice with mercy.
He did not call any witness.
Delivering judgment in the case, Justice Aladejana who first reviewed both the oral and documentary evidence before the court held: ”To me, rivalry between men over the affection of a woman should not be grounds to justify provocation.
“I consequently find the defendant guilty of murder charge against him and therefore convict him as charged.
”The judgment of this court upon you is that you, Ayodeji Alomoge shall be hanged by the neck until you die “.
Alomoge is back to the prison awaiting the gallows.
