A 26-year-old man, David Isaiah, has been sentenced to death by hanging after he was convicted of kidnapping and murdering a commercial sex worker, Comfort James, with herbicide.
Naija News reports that the sentencing took place on Monday at the Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division.
Isaiah was charged alongside his late accomplice, Saviour Daniel, who died during the court proceedings. He faced three charges, including conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder. The court sentenced him to death for murder, life imprisonment for kidnapping, and a 21-year jail term for conspiracy.
The charges read, “The defendant and Saviour Daniel, who passed away during the case proceedings on 6th February 2024 in Ado Ekiti, conspired to kidnap and murder Comfort James, a commercial sex worker.”
Prosecutor Ibironke Odetola stated that the offenses committed by Isaiah, who was arraigned on 18th April 2024, “are in violation of sections 280, 279 (a), and 234 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.”
In his testimony, Irona, the Director of Afrika Brothel in Ado Ekiti, explained, “I was informed by other sex workers in the brothel that they hadn’t seen the victim since the previous day. The missing sex worker had called her colleagues to inform them she had been kidnapped and that the kidnappers were demanding ₦100,000 in ransom.”
“I reported the matter to the police station and the Civil Defence office. The victims’ phone lines were tracked, leading to their arrest. They took Civil Defence officers to the location where they had killed and discarded the body of the sex worker,” the director added.
The prosecution presented six witnesses and introduced various exhibits, including the defendant’s statements, photographs of the deceased, a warrant for the burial, a pair of slippers, SIM cards, and the herbicide used in the crime.
In his defense, Isaiah claimed, “After having sex with the deceased, we used her phone to call her colleagues, telling them that she had been kidnapped and demanding a ransom of ₦100,000. Her hands and neck were tied the entire time. When the ransom didn’t come, and realizing she had seen our faces clearly, we decided to pour herbicide into her mouth, which caused her death.”
Delivering the verdict, Justice Olalekan Olatawura concluded that the prosecution had proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Isaiah conspired with his deceased accomplice to kidnap and murder Comfort James.
The judge stated, “Given the evidence, the defendant is found guilty as charged. Any consideration for leniency cannot be justified. Therefore, the defendant is sentenced to 21 years for conspiracy, life imprisonment for kidnapping, and death by hanging for murder. May God have mercy on your soul.”
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