Man, 37, Sentenced To Death For Killing Ex-Boss’ Wife
A 37-year-old truck driver, Adeyemi Morenikeji, has been sentenced to death by a High Court, sitting in Oyo Town, Oyo State, over the killing of Mrs. Racheal Ayanwale, the wife of his former boss.
Morenikeji, a former employee of the Ayanwale family, was said to had confessed when paraded at the Oyo State Police Command headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, on April 11, 2019, that he lured the woman out of her office under the pretext of helping her to seek spiritual solution to her marital problem.
He was reported to have said that he strangulated the woman on their way to a spiritual house and dumped her body by the river side and thereafter went away with her Pontiac Vibe vehicle, with registration number KJA 67 CY.
Morenikeji was, however, apprehended by men of the Oyo State Police Command on April 18, 2019 at Sango-Ota, Ogun State and was prosecuted after investigation.
In his confessional statement, he reported to have said: “On the way to the spiritual house, I strangled Mrs Rachael Ayanwale, left her body by the river side and went away with her Pontiac Vibe vehicle, with registration number KJA 67 CY.
“She was the wife of my boss who I worked for before they both sacked me. I drove their truck for them, plying Wharf in Lagos and Obajana in Kogi State.
“But I was sacked at a period when my wife was pregnant, and I couldn’t afford her going for ante-natal care. And when she eventually delivered, we lost the child.
“All this while, I had been begging them to forgive me, but they refused. Even after the death of the child, I still went back to them with someone to beg them again to re-employ me, but they refused.”
Standing trial before the Oyo High Court, two-count charges were preferred against the accused person in case Number HOY/1C/2020.
Justice Adenike Adeeyo, after thorough deliberation by both the state counsel and the defendant counsel, read the two count charges before the accused who raised no any objection but pleaded for mercy.
The charges read: “That you, Aderemi Morenikeji, on or about the 11th day of April, 2019, at about 1400hours, between School of Survey and Awe Road, Oyo in the Oyo Judicial Division, murdered one Racheal Ayanwale (female) by strangulation and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 316 and punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap 38, Volume 11, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000.
“That you, Aderemi Morenikeji, on or about 11th day of April, 2019, at Awe Road, Oyo in the Oyo Judicial Division, having strangulated and murdered Racheal Ayanwale (female), robbed her of her Vibe Pontiac Car with Registration Number, LAGOS KJA 67 CY valued at N1,720,000 and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 401 and punishable under Section 402, of the Criminal Code, Cap 38, Volume II Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000.”
Delivering a 62-page judgment, Justice Adeeyo said: “This honorable court hereby sentences you, Aderemi Morenike, to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour for robbing late Racheal Oyewunmi Ayanwale of her Pontiac Car and phones.”
On count 1, the judge said: “This court sentences you, Aderemi Morenikeji, to death for (the) murder of Racheal Oyewumi Ayanwale.”
