The Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, on Wednesday, convicted two pipeline vandals for killing seven officers of the State Security Service (SSS).
The vandals were Clement Ododomu and Tiwei Monday.
The killings occurred on September 14, 2015 at Ishawo Creek, Ikorodu, Lagos State.
Related news
- Court Ends banker’s 17-year-old marriage in Akwa Ibom
- UK Court grants Diezani £70000 bail in alleged bribery case
- Italian Court jails Citizen for killing physically challenged Nigerian
Saheed Adetunji, an investigation officer with the DSS told the court during the course of the trial that seven out of the nine-man rescue team were ambushed by the vandals in the Ishawo area and taken captive. The remaining two managed to escape.
“The first defendant said that they took the seven DSS personnel to their hideout, into the Ishawo Creeks, called Barracks,” Adetunji said.
The officer also identified the 2nd defendant, Monday, who confessed that he was a part of the group of vandals who used teargas and pepper spray on the DSS personnel.
“When they got to their Barracks, the first defendant said he personally shot two of the DSS personnel with a pump-action rifle, while one Agbala shot the remaining five with an AK-47.
“The dead bodies were buried in three separate graves. The first defendant said that the graves were dug by some Ijaw boys and three slim operatives were packed in one. And the bigger ones were put in twos into the other graves,” he stated.
The trial judge, Hakeem Oshodi, found Messrs Ododomu and Monday guilty following a plea for mercy by their counsel, but deferred their sentencing until 14 November.
The offences are contrary to Sections 223 and 298 (3) of the Criminal Law, Cap. C. A Vol. 3, laws of Lagos State 2015.
Mr Oshodi found Mr Ododomu guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, murders and illegal possession of firearms.
He found Mr Monday guilty of conspiracy to commit murder.
According to him, the claim of the defence that the defendants were in Lagos for the funeral of their grandmother was a ruse.
Mr Oshodi held that the defence failed to provide essential witnesses to corroborate the claim.
He, however, held that the prosecution was not able to prove that the second defendant (Monday) was guilty of murder.
Mr Oshodi said that evidence before the court showed that it was one Agbala and the first defendant (Ododomu) who killed the operatives.
He held that the prosecution was able to prove that the two defendants participated in the ambush of the operatives.
He said: “Upon proper evaluation of evidence before the court, the convicts are hereby discharged and acquitted on counts of two, three, four, six and eight because the prosecution was unable to prove the allegations against them.
“However, the prosecution was able to prove that the first defendant, Ododomu, is guilty of counts one, five, seven, nine and 10 which border on conspiracy to commit murder, murders, possession of firearms and felony.
“The second defendant, Monday, is also found guilty of count one and 10 which border on conspiracy to commit murder and felony.”
Defence counsel, Olusegun Akande, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy.
Saheed Adetunji, an investigation officer with the DSS told the court during the course of the trial that seven out of the nine-man rescue team were ambushed by the vandals in the Ishawo area and taken captive. The remaining two managed to escape.
“The first defendant said that they took the seven DSS personnel to their hideout, into the Ishawo Creeks, called Barracks,” Adetunji said.
The officer also identified the 2nd defendant, Monday, who confessed that he was a part of the group of vandals who used teargas and pepper spray on the DSS personnel.
“When they got to their Barracks, the first defendant said he personally shot two of the DSS personnel with a pump-action rifle, while one Agbala shot the remaining five with an AK-47.
“The dead bodies were buried in three separate graves. The first defendant said that the graves were dug by some Ijaw boys and three slim operatives were packed in one. And the bigger ones were put in twos into the other graves,” he stated.
Background
The Lagos State Government had submitted that SSS received a distress call from an editor of Sun newspaper (name withheld) on 14 September 2015 about the kidnapping of his wife at their residence.
It said that the state command of SSS consequently dispatched a nine-man team to carry out a surveillance to ascertain the location of the kidnappers who were negotiating for a ransom.
The prosecution added that it was reported that in the evening of that day, one of the SSS team members, Martins Ajayi, sent a distress text message to the command headquarters to the effect that the team had been ambushed by vandals and their weapons seized.
According to the prosecution, the convicts committed the offences on 14 September 2015, in Ishawo Creek, Ikorodu, Lagos.
The convicts were arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit murder, murder and illegal possession of firearms, contrary to Section 223 and 298 (3) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
(NAN)
