Court Sentences Islamic Cleric Who Killed Lukman Adeleke to Death by Hanging

• Kabiru Ibrahim, an Islamic cleric in Osun state, has been sentenced to death by hanging for murdering his client, Lukman Adeleke
• Justice Lateef Adegoke delivered the verdict after the cleric confessed and led police to the victim’s remains along an expressway
• The court also convicted Ibrahim of theft, sentencing him to seven years in prison for stealing N300,000 from Adeleke in 2016

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

Osun State, Osogbo - On Wednesday, May 28, an Osun State High Court, sitting in Iwo, sentenced an Islamic cleric, Kabiru Ibrahim, to death by hanging for the murder of his client, identified as Lukman Adeleke.

Osun cleric guilty of theft and murder

Ibrahim was charged with conspiracy, murder, and theft, contrary to Sections 324, 319(1), and 390 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 34, Laws of Osun state.

As reported by The Punch, Justice Lateef Adegoke, delivering judgment, held that the prosecution proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt and sentenced the cleric to death by hanging for murder.

This was confirmed in a statement released by the Information Officer of the Ministry of Justice, Opeyemi Bello, in Osogbo on Wednesday.

According to the statement, the prosecution team, led by Abiodun Badiora, told the court that Ibrahim was a spiritual consultant to the deceased.

Osun court hears how cleric killed client

According to Badiora, the deceased had approached the cleric with the intention of purchasing a parcel of land, and Ibrahim asked him to bring the money for an overnight prayer before paying the vendor.

However, after the prayers were conducted, Adeleke went missing. During the search, his family was informed by an informant that he was last seen the day he visited the cleric's residence.

“When the family confronted the cleric, he initially denied seeing the deceased for over two weeks. However, a community member refuted his claim, stating he had taken Adeleke to the cleric’s house the day before his disappearance.

“The matter was reported to the police, and during interrogation, Ibrahim confessed to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) that he had murdered the deceased. He led authorities to the Ilesa/Akure expressway, where Adeleke’s remains were found inside a sack. One of his palms had been severed. Photographic evidence was tendered in court.

“The prosecution called six witnesses and presented several exhibits, including Ibrahim’s extrajudicial confession. It was also revealed that Ibrahim had stolen ₦300,000 from the deceased on August 24, 2016,” the statement read.

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Pastor and brother sentenced for farmer's murder

Legit.ng also reported that a 48-year-old pastor, Uduak Udo Umoren and his 34-year-old brother, Emmanuel Udo Umoren, were sentenced to death by hanging for killing a farmer over a parcel of land.

Justice Winifred Effiong of the Akwa Ibom State High Court, sitting in Essien Udim, gave the judgement after finding both brothers guilty of the crime and imposed the harshest penalty on them.

Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng