The chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Saheed Arogundade, was yesterday sentenced to death by hanging by Justice Olabisi Akinlade of Lagos High Court, Ikeja, for killing a police officer, Gbenga Oladipupo.
The judge found Arogundade guilty of murder, in the incident that took place at Gbara junction, Ayetoro, Ajegunle, Lagos on April 10, 2010.
Lagos State government had sometime in November 2011 arraigned Arogundade alongside Mustapha Layeni, Adebayo Abdullahi, Seyi Pabiekun, Sikiru Rufai and Yusuf Arogundade.
The six were arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy and murder.
Oladipupo was reportedly stabbed to death about 8am on April 10, 2010 by the convict and his cohorts while on his way to Olayinka Street, Ayetoro, to visit his mother.
He was reportedly stabbed to death for encouraging the operation of tricycles in Aiyetoro area, which the convict noted would reduce the income of NURTW.
The corpse was later deposited at Isolo General Hospital morgue.
Ismaila Lukman, the motorcyclist that conveyed Oladipupo, testified during the trial: “The deceased called me to give him a ride to his mother’s house. On our way, four men approached us and dragged the deceased down from my motorcycle.
“One of them, Saheed, brought out a knife and stabbed him at the back. I ran off to get help from fellow motorcyclists. But when I returned, the other three men were hitting him with their fist. I could not see the faces of the other men clearly because I was focusing on Saheed who stabbed him.
“When I got close to the deceased, I realised that he had been badly stabbed all over his body and was bleeding severely.”
However, the judge held that the prosecution was not able to prove its case against the other defendants, adding that the evidence of the sixth prosecution witness, one Adewale Akinola, could not be admitted to convict the second to sixth defendants.
“The prosecution has been able to prove beyond reasonable doubt the ingredients of conspiracy and murder against the first defendant; therefore, I pronounce that the first defendant is guilty as charged.
“I hereby pronounce sentence of the court upon you, Saheed Arogundade, that you will be hanged in the neck until you are dead. May God have mercy on your soul,” she ruled.
