A Niger State High Court in Minna has sentenced a 16-year-old girl, Joy Afekafe, to life imprisonment for her involvement in the 2023 murder of Dr. Funmilayo Adefolalu, a lecturer at the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna.
Presiding over the case, Justice Mohammed Mohammed of High Court 4 found the teenager guilty on two counts: culpable homicide and armed robbery, offences punishable under Sections 221 and 298 of the Penal Code. However, given the convict was under 18 at the time of the crime, the death sentence for homicide was commuted to life imprisonment, while an additional 10-year sentence was imposed for the armed robbery conviction.
Dr. Adefolalu was brutally murdered on October 28, 2023, at her residence in the Gbaiko area of Minna. Investigations revealed that Afekafe, who had briefly worked as the deceased’s housemaid before being dismissed over alleged theft, conspired with two male accomplicesâidentified only as DJ Wallex and DJ Smart, both currently at large.
According to her confession, Afekafe lured the lecturer into opening her gate, after which the accomplices entered, beat her, and stabbed her multiple times. The attackers also stole valuables including mobile phones, a laptop, foreign currency, and a car battery.
Justice Mohammed stated: âFrom the evidence before me, I am satisfied that the prosecution has proved the offences of culpable homicide and armed robbery against the convict.â
The shocking incident prompted widespread outrage within the university community and underscored growing concerns about youth involvement in violent crimes and the need for stricter background checks for domestic staff.
Police investigations confirmed that Afekafe, then 14, had admitted to orchestrating the attack after her dismissal. She was arrested in the Gbeganu area of Minna days later.
