Justice Hakeem Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja has convicted two individuals for murder.
Clement Ododomu and Tiwei Monday, were on Wednesday convicted for the murder of seven operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS).
The conviction follows a 10-count charge against them, including murder and possession of firearms, in violation of Lagos State laws.
Background
The Lagos State government accused the duo of killing and burying seven DSS operatives while they were on duty in 2015.
The DSS personnel, identified as Uzor Nwafor, Kayode Oladimeji, Luke Akande, Adebayo Adeniyi, Benjamin Mafo, and Simeon Owolabi, were ambushed by vandals during a kidnap rescue mission at Abule Oba.
During the trial, Saheed Adetunji, an investigation officer with the DSS, provided critical testimony.
He furthermore, revealed that the first defendant, Ododomu, confessed that they had taken the seven DSS personnel to their hideout, referred to as “Barracks” in the Creeks.
The second defendant, Monday, was identified as one of the individuals who used teargas on the personnel.
Additionally, other perpetrators named are Godwin Oweli and Prince Sunday.
The first defendant admitted to shooting two of the DSS personnel with a pump-action rifle, while another individual, Agbala, used an AK47 to shoot the remaining five.
The victims’ bodies were buried in three separate graves, with slim operatives placed together and the larger ones in pairs.
Ododomu, the first defendant, was found guilty of conspiracy to murder, murder, and possession of firearms with the intent to commit a felony.
Monday, the second defendant, was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and failure to report a felony.
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Court’s Decision
Justice Oshodi in his judgment, held that the prosecution had successfully proven part of the charges against the two convicts beyond reasonable doubt.
He dismissed their alibi, deeming it an afterthought and not credible.
The judge held that the convicts’ attempts to deny their confessional statements were unconvincing, and the evidence presented in court confirmed that the extra-judicial statements were made voluntarily.
The court adjourned the sentencing of the convicted pipeline vandals to November 14, 2023.
