An Ogun State High Court on Friday convicted and sentenced three young men for the ritual killing of a 16-year-old girl, Sofia Okeowo, in the Kugba area of Abeokuta
The trio, Mustakeem Balogun, Soliudeen Majekodunmi, and Lukmon Abdulgafar, were apprehended for the gruesome murder of Okeowo on January 28, 2022.
The court released a fourth suspect, Waris Oladeinde, on March 22, 2022 due to lack of evidence.
According to the court proceedings, Sofia had gone to visit her boyfriend, Mustakeem, who had sexual intercourse with her and, during the act, viciously attacked and strangled her alongside Soliudeen, then beheaded her.
They also cut parts of Sofia’s thighs and stuffed her headless body into a sack, subsequently taking Sofia’s head to Lukmon’s house to be burnt with a local burner.
The horrific crime came to public attention after a viral video showed the trio being apprehended by community guards with Sofia’s head burning in the local burner. They were also seen reciting incantations over her corpse.
Delivering the judgement on Friday, the court convicted the trio for murder, sentencing Mustakeem and Soliudeen to death and Lukmon to life in prison.
The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade, reacting to the judgment, said, “Ogun State has won this case, and the convicts have been conclusively excluded from civilised society for the considerable future.
“We are grateful for the closure that we have been able to provide Sofia’s family. I am incredibly proud of the prosecutors at the Ministry of Justice who secured justice despite challenges.”
Ogungbade, reiterating the ministry’s commitment, noted that they will continue to spare no expense and hold nothing back in their quest for justice, advising young ones to chase skills or employment rather than resort to money rituals.
He also urged members of the public to return to the traditional values of hard work, disdain for crime, and collective responsibility for instruction and correction.
