Ogun Court sentences two to death, one to Life Imprisonment for murder of 16-Year-Old girl in ritual killing

An Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta has sentenced Mustakeem Balogun and Soliudeen Majekodunmi to death by hanging, while Lukmon Abdulgafar received a life sentence for their involvement in the gruesome murder of 16-year-old Sofia Okeowo.

The heinous crime, which occurred in the Kugba area of Abeokuta on January 28, 2022, saw Sofia lured by her boyfriend, Mustakeem, who had carnal knowledge of her before strangling her to death with the assistance of Soliudeen.

The convicts went further to behead the teenage girl and cut parts of her body, stuffing her remains into a sack while taking the severed head to Lukmon’s house to be burnt in a local burner for ritual purposes. The chilling incident sparked outrage after a viral video showed the suspects reciting incantations over her remains.

Confirming the judgment in a statement on Friday, the Ogun State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Oluwasina Ogungbade, said the three men had faced the full weight of the law. Justice Olugboyega Ogunfowora, who presided over the case, found them guilty of the brutal killing and delivered the sentences accordingly.

Ogungbade reiterated the state government’s zero tolerance for crime, adding that this judgment should serve as a stern warning to anyone involved in ritual killings and other criminal acts within the state.