A HIGH Court in Niger State has sentenced 16-year-old Joy Afekafe to life imprisonment for the murder of Funmilayo Adefolalu, a Biochemistry lecturer at the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna.
The judgment came nearly two years after the death of the lecturer, who was found in her home lying in a pool of blood, with multiple stab wounds and visible blunt force injuries.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, July 9, the presiding judge, Mohammed Mohammed of the State High Court 4 found Afekafe guilty of culpable homicide and armed robbery, both offences punishable under Sections 221 and 298 of the Penal Code.
However, the justice noted that in accordance with Nigerian law, which prohibits the death penalty for persons under 18, the girl was sentenced to life imprisonment and an additional 10 years for robbery.
“From the evidence before me, I am satisfied that the prosecution has proved the offences of culpable homicide punishable with death and armed robbery against the convict.
“However, as the convict was below 18 years old at the time of committing the offence, a sentence of life imprisonment is imposed in line with the provisions of the Penal Code,” Mohammed said.
Backstory
The murder occurred on October 28, 2023, and came to public attention the following day when concerned church members and friends found Adefolalu lying in a pool of blood inside her Gbaiko residence in Minna.
According to reports, two bloodstained knives were discovered beside her body, and she was pronounced dead at IBB Hospital, Minna.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed the arrest of the prime suspect, Afekafe, saying two other suspects connected to the crime were at large.
Abiodun added that the then 14-year-old Afekafe was a domestic help to the late Adefolalu for almost three weeks, adding that the suspect confessed to how she conspired with her two classmates, Walex and Smart, in what she later described as a plan to “deal with” her former employer for accusing her of theft.
The assailants then beat, stabbed, and bludgeoned the woman with a wooden stool, while also stealing valuables, including her mobile phone, laptop, foreign currency, and the battery of her car before fleeing the scene.
Afekafe was later arrested in the Gbeganu area of Minna, while her accomplices remain at large.
“Afekafe said they went to the lecturer’s residence on October 28, 2023, around 1600hrs, with a motorcycle and she surfaced at the gate, while the lecturer opened the gate for her.
“Walex and Smart later entered, beat and hit the lecturer’s head with a stool and stabbed her with a knife brought by Walex while Smart took another knife from the kitchen, and stabbed her severally,” said the police.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M