A state high court in Minna, Niger State, has sentenced a 16-year-old girl, Joy Afekafe, to life imprisonment for her role in the murder of Funmilayo Adefolalu, a lecturer at the Federal University of Technology, Minna.
Justice Mohammed Mohammed of High Court 4 pronounced the sentence on Wednesday after finding the teenager guilty of the two-count charge of culpable homicide and armed robbery, both offences punishable under Sections 221 and 298 of the Penal Code.
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Mrs Adefolalu was murdered on 28 October 2023 at her residence in the Gbaiko area of Minna. The convict, who had worked briefly as a housemaid for the deceased, was found to have conspired with two accomplices currently at large, identified as DJ Wallex and DJ Smart.
According to her confession, after she was expelled from the lecturer’s home for theft, she enlisted the duo to “deal with” the deceased.
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During the attack, Mrs Adefolalu was repeatedly stabbed and later struck with a wooden stool, leading to her death. The assailants also carted away valuables, including mobile phones, a laptop, and foreign currencies.
Miss Afekafe, who was 14 at the time of the crime, made a confessional statement to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID).
In line with Nigerian law, which prohibits the death penalty for offenders under 18, the court substituted the death sentence with life imprisonment for culpable homicide and an additional 10 years for armed robbery.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Mohammed declared: “From the evidence before me, I am satisfied that the prosecution has proved the offences of culpable homicide punishable with death and armed robbery against the convict.
“However, as the convict was below 18 years old at the time of committing the offence, a sentence of life imprisonment is imposed in line with the provisions of the Penal Code.”
The tragic murder shocked the FUT Minna community and raised broader concerns about youth involvement in violent crimes and household staff vetting procedures.
PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported how the police arrested Miss Afekafe over the murder of Mrs Adefolalu.
The lecturer was killed at her residence in the Gbaiko Area of Minna on Sunday, 29th of October 2023
A statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, said the suspect was arrested at a residence within the Gbeganu area of Minna.
Mr Abiodun said the suspect told the police under interrogation that she worked as the deceased’s housemaid for about three weeks until she was laid off for alleged theft.
He said that after the suspect was laid off, she met her classmates called Walex and Smart, and they conspired to attack the lecturer at her residence.
“They went to the residence on Saturday at about 4 p.m. with a motorcycle and she surfaced at the gate, while the lecturer opened the gate for her.
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“Walex and Smart later entered, beat the deceased, hit her head with a stool and stabbed her with a knife brought by Walex while Smart took another knife from the kitchen, and stabbed her ‘severally’.
“She said the deceased’s phone and laptop were taken away, while they also removed the battery of the vehicle parked in the compound and fled the scene,” Mr Abiodun said.
Mr Abiodun further explained that on Sunday, some friends and church members visited the deceased‘s residence in the Gbaiko area of Minna, because she could not be reached on the phone, and found her bloodied remains.
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