Metro

Court Sentences Ogun Couple, Son’s Killers To Death By Hanging

Published

10 months ago

February 3, 2025

An Ogun State High Court sitting in Kobape, Abeokuta, the state capital, on Monday sentenced Lekan Adekanbi, Ahmed Odetola, and Waheed Adeniyi to death by hanging for the murder of Kehinde Fatinoye, his wife, Bukola Fatinoye, and their son, Oreoluwa, on January 1, 2023.

The couple was attacked at their Ibara GRA residence shortly after returning from a crossover service.

Led by their driver, Adekanbi, the assailants invaded their home at about 2am, killing them before setting the house and their bodies on fire.

They also tied up their son, Oreoluwa, and an adopted son before throwing them into the Ogun River.

Oreoluwa did not survive, but the adopted son miraculously escaped.

During an interview with journalists in February 2023, Adekanbi confessed that he orchestrated the attack because the Fatinoyes refused to increase his salary or grant him a loan.

“I took the step because the couple refused to increase my salary, and when I approached them for a loan to buy a motorcycle, they didn’t oblige,” he admitted.

He revealed that he invited two accomplices, Odetola and Adeniyi, to help him rob the couple.

“The three of us waited for the couple until they came back from the crossover service. We pounced on them immediately after they entered the house,” he said.

According to him, they forced Kehinde Fatinoye to transfer N1,102,000 to his Access Bank account at gunpoint after a previous transfer attempt to Odetola’s Kuda Bank account failed.

“When I realised that my identity had been exposed through my bank account, I decided with others to terminate the lives of the couple,” he confessed.

Adeniyi then used a knife to slaughter Kehinde Fatinoye, while Adekanbi struck Bukola Fatinoye on the head with a sledgehammer, killing her instantly.

When the couple’s son, Oreoluwa, and their adopted son, Felix Olorunyomi, walked in, the criminals tied them up and threw them into the Ogun River, Felix managed to escape.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, recounted how Adekanbi initially escaped from custody after faking an illness.

“The suspect, Lekan Adekanbi, suddenly collapsed in the cell on January 2, 2023, and was rushed to the hospital for medical care. But while receiving treatment, he suddenly jumped from the bed and escaped through the hospital fence,” Oyeyemi said.

Following a technical and intelligence-driven investigation, police tracked him to his brother’s house in Iseyin, Oyo State.

Although he had fled before officers arrived, he was later arrested in Abeokuta on January 21, 2023.

His accomplices, Odetola and Adeniyi, were arrested in Ogere on February 9, 2023.

“The three suspects, who are members of the Aiye confraternity, have all confessed to their roles in the gruesome and callous murder of the family,” Oyeyemi stated.

Adekanbi, Odetola, and Adeniyi, along with six others, were charged with 24 counts, including conspiracy to commit armed robbery, murder, arson, and perverting the course of justice. They pleaded not guilty.

Delivering her judgment, Justice Basirat Adebowale ruled, “The trio of Adekanbi, Odetola, and Adeniyi are guilty of nine counts because the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.”

Adebowale sentenced them to death by hanging.

“You, Adekanbi, Odetola, and Adeniyi, for killing a father, mother, and son, do not deserve mercy. You are hereby sentenced to be hanged by the neck until you are dead or by lethal injection. May God have mercy on your souls,” she declared.

Other sentences included: Temitope Fadairo (Adekanbi’s wife) to two years imprisonment for hiding her husband, Adenike Adekanbi (Adekanbi’s mother) to one-year imprisonment for providing false statements to the police, Azeez Usman (the welder who dismantled the stolen vehicle) to 14 years imprisonment for receiving stolen property, plus additional sentences to run concurrently, Anuoluwapo Owolaja to two years imprisonment, Abass Odetola and Lukmon Adewusi were discharged of all charges.

During the trial, Chief State Counsel, Adefisoye Temilola, told the court that the trio committed the crime at Karounwi Street, Ibara Housing Estate, Abeokuta.

“The defendants, while armed with a gun, hammer, and cutlass, robbed Mr. Fatinoye of N1.102 million and a Hyundai vehicle worth N12 million. They also robbed Mrs. Bukola Fatinoye of her phones valued at N1 million.

“After robbing the couple, Adeniyi used a knife to slaughter Kehinde Fatinoye, while Adekanbi struck Bukola on the head with a sledgehammer.

“They set the house ablaze and killed their only son, Oreoluwa, by tying his hands and legs and throwing him into the Ogun River, leading to his death.” Temilola said.

Metro

Sowore Arraigned Over Alleged Cybercrime

Published

1 hour ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

The Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday arraigned politician and online publisher Omoyele Sowore before the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged cybercrime offences.

Sowore, a former presidential candidate, faced a five-count charge accusing him of defaming President Bola Tinubu by calling him a criminal in posts on X and Facebook. The DSS claims that his actions violate the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, as well as the Criminal Code Act.

At the hearing, Justice Mohammed Umar granted Sowore bail on self-recognition. However, the court imposed strict conditions, barring him from making any statements capable of inciting the public or undermining national security. The judge warned that any violation of these conditions would lead to immediate revocation of his bail.

Justice Umar noted that Sowore, who previously contested for the presidency, was already under bail conditions with his international passport held by the court. He said these factors justified granting him bail without a monetary surety.

The arraignment on Tuesday came after two earlier attempts were unsuccessful. DSS counsel, Akinolu Kehinde (SAN), attributed the delays to legal obstacles introduced by Sowore’s defence team.

Sowore pleaded not guilty to all charges. His lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, also filed a fresh bail application during the proceedings, which the court considered before ruling.

Two other defendants — X Inc. (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) Inc. — are listed in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025. The DSS claims that these companies aided Sowore in publishing the posts allegedly containing defamatory statements against the president.

The case is the latest in a series of legal battles involving Sowore, who has in the past faced arrests and charges over his activism and online publications.

The Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, under which Sowore was charged, criminalises the online publication of false statements that can harm individuals or public institutions. The law also empowers the government to hold social media companies accountable if they facilitate the spread of such content.

Sowore’s arraignment has drawn reactions on social media, with supporters describing the charges as politically motivated, while others argue that public figures must exercise caution in their statements online.

Metro

Alleged Cybercrime: Court Grants Sowore Bail

Published

1 hour ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

Justice Mohammed Umar of the Abuja Federal High Court, on Tuesday, granted former presidential candidate and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, bail on self-recognition, cautioning him to refrain from making any utterances that could incite the public against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Sowore’s bail followed his arraignment by the Department of State Services (DSS) before the court on a five-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime.

In the five-count charge, Sowore is accused of allegedly making derogatory remarks about President Tinubu on his social media handles.

Sowore, who is the convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, pleaded not guilty to the charges after they were read to him.

Earlier in the proceedings, his counsel, Marshall Abubakar, had raised a motion challenging the competence of the suit, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction.

The prosecution objected, stating they had only just been served with the processes and needed time to respond.

In a short ruling, Justice Umar held that the objection on jurisdiction was not ready for hearing because the prosecution was served that morning, adding that the defendant needed to give them adequate time to file a counter-affidavit.

He then directed that the charges be read to the defendant.

When the charge was read, Sowore pleaded not guilty; his counsel applied for bail on self-recognition. The prosecution, however, opposed the application, arguing that Sowore posed a flight risk.

Justice Umar, in ruling on the bail request, granted Sowore bail on self-recognition and adjourned the matter to January 19, 2026, for trial.

Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in 2019, was accused of contravening the provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024, and the Criminal Code Act by calling President Bola Tinubu a criminal

The two other defendants listed in the charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, are X Incorp (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) Incorp.

Metro

Delta: Suspected Kidnapper Killed In Gun Battle With Police

Published

7 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

A suspected kidnapper has been killed during a gun battle with operatives of the Delta State Police Command in collaboration with Community Volunteers in Obiaruku Forest.

Delta State Police Public Relations Officer,SP Bright Edafe, confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday.

“Operatives of the Command State Anti-Cult Unit (SACU), in collaboration with community volunteers, were on intensive patrol when they received credible intelligence that suspected kidnappers were mobilising within the Obiaruku forest to carry out an attack.

“Acting swiftly on the information, the operatives advanced towards the location to forestall the planned criminal activity,” the statement said.

According to Edafe, on approaching the area, the suspects opened fire from multiple directions in a bid to repel the team.

“The operatives responded with superior firepower, leading to the death of one suspect, while others escaped into the forest with various degrees of injuries.

“One AK-47 rifle with forty-two rounds of live ammunition, nine mobile phones, and charms were recovered,” the statement added.