Admin l Tuesday, June 25, 2019
IGBOSERE, Lagos, Nigeria – A Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere today sentenced a Togolese cook, Sunday Adefonou Anani, to life imprisonment for the murder of Chief Executive Officer of Credit Switch Ltd, Mr. Ope Bademosi on October 31, 2018.
Justice Mobolanle Okikiolu-Ighile convicted Anani following his guilty plea to a one-count charge of voluntary manslaughter. Anani confessed to the court that he stabbed Chief Bademosi to death in his Ikoyi resident while trying to rob him of his valuables.
Anani also confirmed that he was the person caught on Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) fleeing the scene of the crime, after the murder. Anani was originally arraigned on a two-count charge of murder and armed robbery which could have fetched him death sentence on conviction, but he got a lesser sentence of life after entering a plea bargain with the Lagos State Government.
In her allocutus, Mrs Adeyemi said the defendant is a young man who is remorseful about what he has done. “He is a first time offender, there is no evidence that he committed any crime before this. Our humble application is to urge your lordship to grant a sentence of years certain. However, if my lordship is mindful of upholding what we have agreed in the plea bargain, we will accept the sentence therein.”
But Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Titilayo Shitta-Bey opposed the prayer. “We urge this court to grant the maximum sentence for the offence of voluntary manslaughter act as charged.” She noted that there were some “special,” “aggravating circumstances” sorrounding the case, such as breach of trust.
“The defendant was employed into the home of his boss, entrusted with a high level of responsibilities as a cook. Barely three days after resumption of duty, the defendant cut short the life of a man that gave him a new lease of life, depriving him the privilege of enjoying life with his wife and children, which the deceased was entitled to.
“Judicial notice must be taken of the fact that this act of violence by domestic employees against their employers is becoming rampant.” “The sentence must reflect that this conduct is unacceptable to our society we must send the message to others of like minds like the defendant.”
Rendering is judgement, Justice Okikiola said it is annoying that a young man like this would involve himself in this kind of crime.
“What did he hope to achieve in life involving himself in this kind of crime, I ask? It is very painful that a young boy whom the family of Bademosi welcomed in their home as a cook ended up causing so much havoc and endless pain. It is even more painful that the defendant had no motive of working but came into the house with a criminal intention to steal to kill and to destroy. The defendant admitted ‘I killed him.’ This was an innocent and unsuspecting family.”
“Sunday Adefonou Anani, defendant of this court, is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment. The term of imprisonment shall commence from today June 25, 2019.”
