A Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin has convicted three men of kidnapping, armed robbery and rape, sentencing them to death by hanging.
Justice Funsho Lawal found Patrick Afedia Adams, Tijani Usman and Ahmed Muhammad guilty on a four-count charge of conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping and rape, arising from an attack on a farming couple in Ilorin.
The court heard that on June 15, 2025, the convicts, armed with cutlasses and axes, attacked Mr Olubunmi Komolafe and his wife, Mrs Adeola Morenikeji, at their farm in Kanjile village near Kulende, Ilorin.
During the attack, the victims were robbed of valuables and abducted. The assailants later demanded a ransom of ₦5 million, directing that the money be transferred into the wife’s bank account.
Evidence showed that only ₦4,000 had been withdrawn from the account before the suspects were arrested.
The prosecution further established that the couple were tied up with ropes while in captivity, during which Tijani Usman raped Mrs Morenikeji.
In his judgment, Justice Lawal held that the charge of rape against Usman was proven beyond reasonable doubt, relying on medical reports and corroborative evidence, including the defendant’s confession.
The court sentenced the three convicts to life imprisonment for armed robbery and death by hanging for kidnapping, while Usman was handed an additional 20-year jail term for rape.
Justice Lawal informed the convicts of their right to appeal within the time prescribed by law.
