A 16-year-old girl, Miss Joy Afekafe, has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of culpable homicide and armed robbery, offenses punishable under Sections 221 and 298 of the Penal Code.
By Uthman Baba-Sirajdeen
Justice Mohammed Adishetu Mohammed of High Court 4, Minna, delivered the judgment, declaring that the prosecution had successfully proven the charges against the teenage defendant.
Miss Afekafe was found guilty of causing the death of Dr. (Mrs.) Funmilayo Sherifat Adefolalu, a lecturer with the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna. The incident occurred on October 28, 2023, at the deceased’s Gbaiko residence in Niger State.
According to court proceedings, the convict had been engaged as a housemaid for the late lecturer through one Pastor Ojo Peters of the Voice of Mercy Church, which both the deceased and the convict’s mother attended.
While working at the Gbaiko residence, Joy reportedly began stealing valuables, including foreign currency. As a result, the deceased dismissed her from service.
Subsequently, the convict allegedly enlisted the help of two friends, known as DJ Wallex and DJ Smart, to “deal with” the lecturer. The two accomplices, now at large, attacked the deceased with knives and a wooden stool, resulting in her death.
In her statement to the Homicide Squad of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Niger State Police Command, Joy confessed to the attack. She detailed how her accomplices stabbed the victim multiple times. When Dr. Adefolalu tried to defend herself with a stool, they overpowered her and smashed it on her head, killing her instantly. They then stole two mobile phones, a laptop, and foreign currency from her bedroom.
Delivering the judgment, which lasted over two hours, Justice Mohammed stated:
“The prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that Dr. (Mrs.) Funmilayo Sherifat Adefolalu is dead, and that her death was caused by the convict and her accomplices, who stabbed her multiple times and struck her with a wooden stool with the intent to kill.”
He further noted that at the time the offense was committed, Joy Afekafe was 14 years old. As such, the court could not impose a death sentence, as stipulated by law for offenders under 18.
“Although she is now 16 years old, Section 221 of the Penal Code provides that where the convict is under 18 years at the time of the offense, a death sentence shall not be imposed. Instead, the offender shall be sentenced to life in custodial care or another suitable term,” the judge ruled.
Consequently, Justice Mohammed sentenced Joy Afekafe to life imprisonment for culpable homicide and 10 years imprisonment for armed robbery.
