A Niger State High Court has sentenced 16-year-old Miss Joy Afekafe to life imprisonment for her involvement in the 2023 murder of a lecturer from the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna. She committed the crime at age 14 alongside her accomplices, who are still on the run.
The verdict was delivered on Wednesday by Justice Mohammed Adishetu Mohammed of Minna High Court No. 4, who held: “On the whole and for all the reasons stated in this judgment, I hold that the prosecution was able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Dr Mrs Funmilayo Sherifat Adefolalu is dead.”
The court found that the teenager, together with her friends, used knives to stab the lecturer multiple times before striking her with a wooden stool to ensure her death.
“That the death of Dr Mrs Funmilayo Sherifat Adefolalu was caused by the convict with her friends, now at large, when they used knives to stab her severally and eventually hit her with a wooden stool with the intention to kill her.”
Justice Mohammed further concluded: “From the evidence before me, I’m satisfied that the prosecution has proved the offences of culpable homicide punishable with death and armed robbery against the convict.”
Although Joy is now 16 years old, the judge explained that, in accordance with Section 221 of the Penal Code, Laws of Niger State 1989, a death sentence cannot be pronounced on a convict who was under 18 at the time of the crime.
“Although she is now 16 years old, by the provisions of Section 221 of the Penal Code, Laws of Niger State 1989, whosoever is found guilty of culpable homicide punishable with death shall be sentenced to death by a method prescribed by the trial judge.”
“However, where the convict is less than 18 years old at the time of the offence, a sentence of death shall not be pronounced or recorded. Instead, the court shall sentence the person to life custodial or to such other terms.”
As a result, Miss Afekafe will serve a life custodial sentence for culpable homicide, in addition to ten years for armed robbery.
According to the Niger State Police Command, Joy was apprehended after an investigation revealed that she carried out the murder with two classmates, identified as Walex and Smart, who remain at large.
Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, stated: “Police operatives attached to Bosso Division visited the scene and two bloodstained knives suspected to have been used to stab her by an unknown person(s) were recovered from the scene. The body was taken to the IBB Hospital, Minna where she was confirmed dead.”
He further added: “During interrogation, the suspect confessed that she served as the deceased’s housemaid for about three weeks, and she was laid off due to her misdeed in the house. After she was laid off, she met her classmates called Walex and Smart, narrated her ordeal to them and conspired to attack the lecturer at her residence.“
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