The Akure Division of Ondo State High Court on Friday sentenced three persons to death, by hanging, for the murder of Funke Olakunrin.

Mohammed Shehu Usman, Mazaje Lawal, and Adamu Adamu were sentenced to death for the 2019 murder of Mrs Olakunrin, daughter of the leader of the Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural body, Afenifere, Reuben Fasoranti, three years after the murder.  

Usman, Lawal, Adamu and Auwalu Abubakar were the four suspects arraigned in the court. 

However, the fourth suspect, Mr Abubakar, who was on trial for aiding and abetting the crime, was discharged and acquitted by the court.

They were trialled at the court on eight counts bordering on conspiracy, kidnapping, murder, armed robbery, unlawful possession of firearms and aiding and abetting.

Justice Williams Olamide, who delivered the judgement, on Friday morning, found the trio guilty after they conspired together to commit the armed robbery that led to the murder of Mrs Olakunrin.  

Justice Olamide gave his final judgement, which spanned more than two hours, after taking appearances of the prosecution counsel, Charles Titiloye, and the defence counsel, Obafemi Bawa. 

The judge held that the prosecution proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt. The judge had reserved today for the judgement after listening to submissions and adopted the final written addresses from the prosecution and the defence counsel. 

The judgement came three years after the killing and trials of the arrested suspects by the government.

Mrs Olakunrin was travelling from Akure to Lagos after visiting her father when the gunmen struck and killed her on the Ore federal highway on July 12, 2019. 

Her gruesome death had attracted a wide range of condemnation from Nigerians, including political and social groups.