Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
An Osun State High Court sitting in Ile-Ife has sentenced a 30-year-old labourer, Taiwo Agboola, to death by hanging for the brutal murder of a 62-year-old woman, Mrs. Jadesola Olubayo, at a palm oil processing site in the Ifetedo area of the state. The conviction was delivered on Friday, May 22, 2026, following a trial that began with the defendant's arraignment on November 7, 2024. As of Sunday, May 24, 2026, the condemned man remains in custody at the Ile-Ife Correctional Centre, awaiting the confirmation of his death sentence by the judicial authorities.
Justice Adedapo Adeniji, presiding over the case, found Agboola guilty on a three-count charge of attempted rape, indecent assault on a female, and murder, contrary to Sections 359, 360, and 319(1) of the Criminal Code Cap. 34 Laws of Osun State, 2002. The judge sentenced Agboola to 14 years' imprisonment for attempted rape and two years for indecent assault. For the count of murder, he pronounced the death penalty by hanging, stating that the prosecution had proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The tragic incident occurred on October 11, 2023, at a palm oil processing site located near the Amula River in Olokemeji Village, Ifetedo, Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State. According to the prosecution team from the Osun State Ministry of Justice, led by Ajibola Alade and Omotayo Babalola, the deceased had gone to the site that day with her granddaughter, Latifat Adeyemo, to process palm oil for sale. The site owner, Ajide Bashiru, was also present and helped set up the work before leaving to attend to his nearby farm.
While the two women were working alone, Agboola arrived at the site and stripped himself naked, causing immediate panic. The prosecution said the deceased and her granddaughter attempted to flee, but Agboola chased them. He overpowered the elderly woman and began to assault her. The granddaughter managed to escape and ran to Bashiru's farm to seek help. However, by the time they returned to the scene, Agboola had already stripped the victim naked and killed her by repeatedly smashing her face with a stone and a large stick, leaving her in a pool of blood.
During the trial, the prosecution called four witnesses and tendered several exhibits, including photographs of the crime scene, blood-stained items, medical reports, the defendant's confessional statements, and a video recording. The state argued that Agboola had attempted to rape the deceased before killing her when she resisted. They also invoked the doctrine of "last seen," asserting that the deceased was last seen alive with the defendant shortly before her death.
When testifying in his defence, Agboola denied committing the offences. He claimed he was forcefully arrested and beaten by local residents before being handed over to the police. He insisted that he never voluntarily made any statement to the authorities, alleging that his confession was obtained under duress. His defence counsel, Oluwaseun Akintola Philip-Idiok and Victoria Ugochi Layi-Jacob, also challenged the admissibility of his confessional statements and questioned the lack of forensic examination of the blood-stained exhibits presented in court. They urged the court to be lenient in its judgment.
However, Justice Adeniji rejected the defence's arguments. In his judgment, the judge held that the prosecution had successfully established the guilt of the defendant. He noted that the evidence presented, including the graphic testimony of the victim's granddaughter, clearly demonstrated that Agboola intended to kill or cause grievous harm to the deceased. The court dismissed the defendant's claim of a forced confession, finding the prosecution's evidence to be consistent and credible.
The death sentence now awaits confirmation by the state's judicial authorities. Under Nigerian law, a judgment of death by hanging is not automatically executed; it requires the ratification of the state governor or an appellate court. Agboola's legal team has the right to appeal the conviction to a higher court. The sentence has been handed down at a time when there is growing national debate on the continued application of the death penalty in Nigeria, which remains a legal punishment for capital offences including murder, armed robbery, and treason. For the family of Jadesola Olubayo, the judgment brings a measure of closure, but the tragic memory of a violent attack on a defenceless elderly woman will remain long after the courts have spoken.
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