An Ogun State High Court in Kobape, Abeokuta, on Monday sentenced three men to death by hanging for the gruesome murder of Kehinde Fatinoye, his wife Bukola, and their son Oreoluwa on New Year’s Day, 2023.
The victims were attacked at their Ibara GRA residence shortly after returning from a crossover service. Their driver, Lekan Adekanbi, led the attack alongside Ahmed Odetola and Waheed Adeniyi. The assailants stormed the home around 2 a.m., brutally killing the couple before setting their bodies and the house on fire.
Not stopping there, the killers also tied up Oreoluwa and his adopted brother, Felix Olorunyomi, before throwing them into the Ogun River. While Felix miraculously escaped, Oreoluwa tragically drowned.
Motive Behind the Heinous Crime
During an interview in February 2023, Adekanbi admitted to orchestrating the attack out of frustration. He claimed he was angry because the Fatinoyes refused to increase his salary or grant him a loan to buy a motorcycle.
“I took the step because the couple refused to increase my salary, and when I approached them for a loan, they didn’t oblige,” he confessed.
To carry out his plan, he invited Odetola and Adeniyi to help rob the couple. The trio ambushed the Fatinoyes upon their return from church, attacking them as soon as they stepped inside their home.
Adekanbi forced Kehinde Fatinoye to transfer N1.1 million into his bank account at gunpoint after a failed attempt to send it to Odetola’s account. Realizing his identity was now linked to the crime, he decided they had no choice but to kill the couple.
Adeniyi used a knife to slit Kehinde’s throat, while Adekanbi struck Bukola with a sledgehammer, killing her instantly.
Escape and Arrest
The crime shocked the community, but the police soon closed in on the perpetrators. However, Adekanbi initially escaped custody after faking an illness. On January 2, 2023, he collapsed in his cell and was rushed to a hospital, only to flee by jumping over the hospital fence.
A police intelligence operation eventually tracked him to his brother’s house in Iseyin, Oyo State, though he managed to evade capture. He was later arrested in Abeokuta on January 21, 2023. His accomplices, Odetola and Adeniyi, were arrested in Ogere on February 9, 2023.
Court Verdict and Sentencing
The trio, identified as members of the Aiye confraternity, faced 24 charges, including conspiracy to commit armed robbery, murder, and arson. They pleaded not guilty, but after a thorough trial, the court found them guilty of nine counts beyond reasonable doubt.
In delivering her judgment, Justice Basirat Adebowale handed down the death penalty, declaring:
“You, Adekanbi, Odetola, and Adeniyi, for killing a father, mother, and son, do not deserve mercy. You are hereby sentenced to be hanged by the neck until you are dead or by lethal injection. May God have mercy on your souls.”
Additional Sentences
Others involved in the case also received varying sentences:
Temitope Fadairo (Adekanbi’s wife) – Two years imprisonment for aiding her husband’s escape.
Adenike Adekanbi (Adekanbi’s mother) – One year imprisonment for giving false information to the police.
Azeez Usman (the welder who dismantled the stolen vehicle) – 14 years imprisonment for handling stolen property.
Anuoluwapo Owolaja – Two years imprisonment.
Abass Odetola and Lukmon Adewusi – Discharged of all charges.
During the trial, Chief State Counsel Adefisoye Temilola revealed that the attackers not only killed the Fatinoyes but also stole valuables, including N1.1 million, a Hyundai vehicle worth N12 million, and phones worth N1 million.
The brutal murder sent shockwaves across Ogun State, but with the sentencing of the perpetrators, justice has finally been served.
