A 28-year-old man, Ayodeji Alomoge, has been given the death penalty by an Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division, for murdering a man who was in a relationship with his wife.
Alomoge faced trial for murdering Ogunleye Ayomide on the 21st of June, 2022 in Ikere Ekiti, which goes against Section 234 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
Ige Ogunleye, the father of the victim, reported that his son was severely assaulted by Alomoge and his group. Upon arriving at the scene, he found his son in a pool of blood with severe head and mouth injuries.
Alomoge was apprehended at the scene. He stated that he took action because Ayomide had been involved with his wife, despite being warned to stop the affair.
Ayomide was initially taken to a nearby hospital and then to the University Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State, where he later passed away.
The prosecutor, Kunle-Shina Adeyemo, presented five witnesses, as well as the defendant’s statements, photos of the deceased, and a medical report on the cause of death as evidence.
The defendant's lawyer, Adeyinka Opaleke, pleaded for leniency, but did not call any witnesses for the defense.
In the court's ruling on Thursday, Justice Jubril Aladejana expressed that provocation due to a romantic rivalry should not be a justifiable reason for such actions, unless it culminates in a sudden and intense moment of passion.
The judge ultimately found the defendant guilty of the murder charge against him and convicted him as charged.
The court ordered that “Ayodeji Alomoge shall be hanged by his neck until he be dead.”
