Son of late Oba Oyekan of Lagos sentenced to death for killing businesswoman

Adewale Oyekan, son of a former Oba of Lagos, has been sentenced to death by hanging by an Ikeja High court for the murder of Sikirat Ekun, a 62-year-old businesswoman and politician.

Adewale who is the son of Oba Adeyinka Oyekan, a former Oba of Lagos who died on March 1st 2003, was sentenced alongside Lateef Balogun, a former domestic servant of the deceased.

According to the prosecution led by Akin George, Oyekan and Balogun committed the murder at 1am on October 17th 2012, at the home of the deceased located at 5, Babatunde Lalega street, Omole Phase One, Lagos.

George told the court that the deceased knew Oyekan due to her friendship with his late mother. She had employed Oyekan as a manager at her restaurant while Balogun was employed by her to cater for her aging father. However, Balogun’s employment was terminated following a disagreement with the deceased.

According to George,

“The convicts conspired, killed the deceased and threw her corpse in a well within the premises of her home, and took over her businesses and property including a bus which was sold for N170,000. When any inquiry was made by family and friends about her whereabouts, Mr Oyekan informed them that she travelled to Abuja for the Ileya (Eid-el Kabir) festival. He passed this information by sending a text message from Mrs Ekun’s mobile phone.

Following worry from members of Mrs Ekun’s family, and after an extensive search, her corpse was found two months later, in December 2012, by well diggers and firefighters.
“The convicts had placed a generator, a gas cylinder and other household items on the corpse to conceal it in the 1,000 feet well.”

Delivering judgement in the case today, the presiding judge, Justice Raliatu Adebiyi, held that the prosecution proved the charges of conspiracy to commit murder and murder beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced them to death by hanging.

“The circumstantial evidence was strong and cogent; the act of the defendants in killing the deceased was intentional and premeditated. The court finds that the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt the offences of conspiracy and murder, and the defendants are accordingly found guilty of the two-count charge.

“Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011, stipulates the punishment for the offence of murder as follows. Subject to the provisions of any other law, a person who commits the offence of murder shall be sentenced to death.
“Same is the punishment for conspiracy to commit murder as contained in Section 231 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The above cited provisions of the law does not give the court any discretion whatsoever in sentencing the defendants.
“For this reason, the first and second defendants are hereby sentenced on each of counts one and two, to death by hanging. May God, the giver of life, have mercy on your souls.” she said

Five witnesses, including two police officers, a nephew of the deceased, Iyiola Olaniyi; and the only child of the deceased, Folashade Amurun, testified for the prosecution.