Court sentences Fadipe’s killer to die by hanging

By Lanre Adesanya

Three years after, Justice Mrs. Oluwatoyin Ipaye of the Lagos High Court has sentenced the murderer of Lagos based Lawyer and Human Right Activist, Barrister Kunle Fadipe, to death by hanging.

It will be recalled that the 26 years old culprit,Oluwaseun Oladapo prior to his conviction had denied having seen or known slained lawyer before July 4,2014 when he was murdered at his residence 1Harmony Estate, Ifako-Ijaiye,Iju area of Lagos.

Having thoroughly examined all evidences and witnesses statement, Justice Ipaye pronounced Oluwaseun guilty of the five count charges filed against him, as he stand culpable from all grounds.

Justice Ipaye who turned down the alibi of the Defence counsel Mr.Walter Oduagbaka, noted that consequent upon the provision of Lagos state Criminal law on murder and harmed robbery case, the culprit is sentenced to death by hanging.

Oduagbaka who pleaded leniency for the culprit, noted that Seun is a first time offender, who had being remanded in custody for long time and remorseful should be afforded a second chance being very young man.

“The sentence of the court upon you Oluwaseun Oladapo is that you be hanged by the neck until death”.

Victim and sister in-law of murdered Barr. Fadipe, Mrs.Abiola Duduyemi, daughter to Madam Cecilia Owolabi,who was also stabbed in the process and did not survive the trauma but died few weeks, could not belie her joy over the ruling, states that at last the spirit of slained Barrister will rest seeing justice had been eventually served.

“We all know that he cannot come back but it is clear now that justice has been done and his soul can rest now. Also this has proved that the judiciary is actually working and the claim of people that is like Seun will escape as people have actually been saying is foreclosed”.

Also commenting on the high Court’s verdict, Dr. Olaleye Fadipe,brother to late Fadipe, noted a lot need be done to address the seeming deliberate delay of justice.

“The law has taken its course, but what saddens the hearts of the relatives of deceased Fadipe is that three years after his demise, his killer is being fed fat from the state’s coffers this says a lot about our judicial system.

“Despite the fact that he was caught in the act, imagine if not caught in the act maybe the matter will have taken the next 10 years, good justice had been given but I’m not excited for it had taken that long before it was dispensed.”