17th July, 2023
By Olajide Idowu
An Osun State High Court sitting in Ikire, on Monday, convicted and sentenced to death Prophet Philip Segun, 42, and Owolabi Adeeko, 23, for killing Ms Favour Oladele, a final year student of the Lagos State University.
Delivering her judgment, Justice Christiana Obadina also convicted and sentenced Mrs Bola Adeeko, 46, (the mother of Owolabi Adeeko), to two years imprisonment for eating the heart of late Ms Oladele.
Obadina said the prosecution counsel proved their case beyond reasonable doubt and therefore she found the convicts guilty.
The Prosecution led by the State Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Osun Ministry of Justice, Adekemi Bello, had told the court during trial that the convicts killed their victim on Dec. 8, 2019.
Bello also informed the court how the Ogun State Police Command were able to arrest Prophet Philip Segun and Owolabi Adeeko over the killing of Ms Oladele, a final year Sociology student at the Lagos State University.
He told the court that Adeeko had confessed to killing Ms Favour Oladele, narrating that he killed Ms Oladele (his girlfriend) and used her heart to prepare a money ritual meal for his mother in connivance with Prophet Philip Segun.
Bello said that the charges of conspiracy and murder leveled against the convicts contravened Sections 324 and 319 (1) of the Criminal Code Cap. 34 Laws of Osun State 2002.
The prosecution counsel during the trial called nine witnesses, including a police investigating officer, and also tendered several exhibits before the court to prove the case against the convicts.
Mr Adeshina Olaniyan, counsel to the convicts, however, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing his clients.
Justice Obadina in her judgement sentenced Owolabi Adeeko and Prophet Philip Segun to death by hanging on the count of murder of Ms Oladele and 14 years imprisonment for conspiracy.
The judge equally sentenced Mrs Bola Adeeko (mother of Owolabi Adeeko) to two years imprisonment for eating human flesh.
It would be recalled that Owolabi Adeeko on Dec. 8, 2019, lured Favour Oladele (his supposed girlfriend) from Mowe, Ogun State to Osun, on the pretext of taking her to meet his uncle at Ikoyi-Ile.
Adeeko, however, killed Ms Oladele after she got to Osun and her body was dismembered and used to prepare money ritual soaps by Prophet Philip Segun (a prophet of a Cherubim and Cherabum Church) while her heart was eaten by Mrs Adeeko.