By Daniel Edu
Mohammed Kazeem Beiwa has been sentenced to death by Justice S. M. Akanbi of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin for the murder of his neighbor, Olokose Ojo Olushola, just days before Olushola’s wedding in 2021.
Additionally, the court handed down 10 years of imprisonment and a N100,000 fine to Beiwa’s two accomplices, Madu Jeremiah and Mohammed Chatta. However, the fourth defendant, Jimoh Abdulateef, was acquitted and set free due to lack of diligent prosecution.
The four accused individuals were facing eight counts of criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, culpable homicide, illegal possession of firearms, and illegal removal of human parts.
During the trial, the prosecution, led by former Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice of Kwara State, Senior Ibrahim Sulyman, alleged that the accused persons attacked and kidnapped Olokose Ojo Olushola from his house a few days before his wedding in Ilorin, and subsequently killed him in 2021.
After the kidnapping and murder, the accused persons negotiated for ransom from the family, despite knowing that the victim was already deceased.
The prosecution called nine witnesses and presented several exhibits before the court during the trial.
In his judgment on Monday, Justice Akanbi found three of the accused persons guilty on four of the criminal charges brought against them.
He stated, “The defendants had caused the death of one Olokose Ojo Olushola sometime in March 2021, a couple of days before the deceased’s wedding ceremony. The body was mutilated, and despite knowing of the death of Olushola Olokose, the defendants still demanded ransom from the family, making it appear as if their victim was alive and held hostage by kidnappers.”
Mohammed Kazeem Beiwa, who masterminded the tragic incident and was also a neighbor of the deceased, was sentenced to death by hanging and life imprisonment, in addition to 10 years of imprisonment with a N100,000 fine on different counts.