The Court of Appeal, sitting in Akure, Ondo State has slammed a life jail on one Abdullah Bilawu Oloyede and two of his sons over attempted murder of an Iwo High Chief.
Oloyede and his two sons, Musa Bilawu and Waidi Bilawu respectively, were also handed 14 years imprisonment for conspiracy. The jail terms are to run concurrently.
The trio were accused of attempting to murder High Chief Morufu Lamidi, the Odofin of Iwoland and one Yakubu Dauda and Aliyu Akibu on 28th August 2016 during the visit of the chief and family members to their farmland along Agoro Road, Iwo.
In a unanimous ruling, the appellate court dismissed the judgment of an Osun State High Court, sitting in Iwo, which had acquitted the accused persons, in suit No. HIW/2C/2017, stating that there were sufficient evidence confirming an attempt to murder High Chief Lamidi and two others.
Abdullah, his father, Bilawu and his two sons had been acquitted of the crime on 22nd September 2017 in a judgment by the lower court.
But dissatisfied by the judgment, State Counsel, Idrees Abiodun Mikaheel Esq, had gone to the appellate court for a redress.
In a lead judgment delivered by Justice Rita Nosakhare Pemu and upheld by co-Justices, James Gambo Abundaga and Yusuf Alhaji Bashir, the appellate court held that “evidence abound fixing the respondent to the scene of the crime.
In the Appeal No. CA/AK/192CB/2018, the appellate court held; “There was abundant evidence that suggests that the respondent conspired with others to commit the crimes for which he is charged i.e conspiracy and attempted murder.
“By hitting PW2 on the head, suggests an intention to kill him.
“The gravity of the stab wounds and matchet wounds on the victims as shown in the pictures connotes an attempt to kill.
“This issues are resolved in favour of the appellant and against the respondent,” the appellate court stated.
While acquitting the respondents of armed robbery offence, which was also preffered against them, the court stated: “The judgment of the High Court of Justice, Osun State, Iwo Judicial Division, delivered on the 22nd day of September 2017, is hereby set aside.
“The respondent is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment for attempted murder and 14 years imprisonment for conspiracy for each of the offences of conspiracy and attempted murder.
“The sentences to run concurrently,” the appellate court ruled.
In the Appeal No. CA/AK/192CB/2018, the appellate court held; “There was abundant evidence that suggests that the responding with others to commit the crimes for which he is charged i.e conspiracy and attempted murder.
“By hitting PW2 ont the head, suggests an intention to kill him.
“The gravity of the stab wounds and matchet wounds on the victims as shown in the pictures connotes an attempt to kill.
“This issues are resolved in favour of the appellant and against the respondent,” the appellate court stated.
While acquitting the respondents of armed robbery offence, which was also preffered against them, the court stated: “The judgment of the High Court of Justice, Osun State, Iwo Judicial Division, delivered on the 22nd day of September 2017, is hereby set aside.
“The respondent is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment for attempted murder and 14 years imprisonment for conspiracy for each of the offences of conspiracy and attempted murder.
“The sentences to run concurrently,” the appellate court ruled.
