Three men remanded for alleged killing of Ondo farmer

A Chief Magistrate Court in Akure, the Ondo State capital, has remanded three men at the correctional centre over the alleged killing of a farmer, Sunday Ayeni, in Uba-Akoko, in the Akoko South-West Local Government Area of the state.

A few weeks ago, the lifeless body of the 36-year-old farmer was found in a pool of his blood on his farm with his intestines turned outside while  cuts were seen all over his body, indicating that he was stabbed to death by his assailants

His death came a few days after he was compensated for the destruction of his crops by some cows belonging to the Fulani herdsmen in the area.

To this end, the men of the state police command arrested the trio of Abdullah Tumbi, 59; Mohamodu Bonkolo, 50; and Shagari Muhammed, 45 over the alleged dastardly act.

The defendants were later arraigned before the court on two counts of conspiracy and murder.

The police prosecutor, Folashade Adeyemi, told the court that the defendants and others at large committed the offence on August 10,  2024, at the Afiri Camp via Oka-Akoko, Akoko South-West Local Government Area.

According to the prosecution, the defendants allegedly conspired with others at large to kill the farmer, Ayeni, by stabbing him with a cutlass while he was working on his farm.

The charge sheet reads: “That you, Abdullah Halilu Tumbi, Mohamodu Adamu Bonkolo, and Shagari Muhammed, and others at large, did stab one Ayeni Sunday, ‘m’, during a clash with him on his farm with a sharp cutlass on his stomach, which eventually led to his death.”

The offence, according to the prosecutor, contravened Sections 316, 319, and 324 of the Criminal Code Law of Ondo State, 2006.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the count but the court did not take their plea.

The prosecutor prayed the court to remand the defendants at any correctional centre in the state pending advice from the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions of the state.

Ruling, the Chief Magistrate, A. Akinboboye, ordered that the case file be duplicated and sent to the office of the DPP for advice and ordered the remand of the defendants at the Olokuta Correctional Centre in Akure pending the advice of the PDP. The case was adjourned the case till December for mention.