An Akure High Court in Ondo State has sentenced an Okada rider, Mr. Dare Ojo, to death by hanging after finding him guilty of the rape and murder of an 11-year-old passenger, Zainab Adeyemo. The crime was committed along the Ese/Irun-Akoko Road in the Akoko North-west Local Government Area of the state.
During the trial, the prosecution established that Mr. Ojo, while operating his commercial motorcycle, had attacked the young girl, Zainab Adeyemo, who was his passenger. The offenses were identified as being contrary to Section 316 and Section 357 of the Criminal Code Cap 37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Samuel Adegboyega ruled that the prosecution had successfully proven the charges of murder and rape against the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt. Justice Adegboyega noted the grievous nature of the crime, particularly the murder of a child, and stressed the need for justice to be served to deter similar heinous acts. Consequently, the court handed down the maximum sentence, condemning Dare Ojo to death by hanging. The sentencing concludes a trial that has drawn considerable attention across the state.
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