Oyo Court Sentences Five to Death Over Murder of Ibadan Taxi Driver
STORY: Written by Daniel November 25,2025
The Oyo State High Court in Ibadan on Monday sentenced five men to death by hanging after convicting them of conspiring to murder Akeem Shittu, a local taxi driver.
The convicted men—Segun Taiwo (36), Kehinde Ademola (46), Yahaya Adeniyi (45), Chinonso Samson (41), and Opadotun Michael (32)—were found guilty on two counts: conspiracy and murder. Justice Oyeyemi Ajayi ruled that the prosecution had successfully proven that the defendants acted together in orchestrating the crime, relying on both direct and circumstantial evidence.
“This court can safely infer that the events leading to the death of Akeem Shittu were the result of a coordinated conspiracy,” Justice Ajayi stated.
Each defendant was sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiracy and received a death sentence by hanging for the murder charge.
According to state counsel Mrs. K. K. Oloso, the incident occurred on April 10, 2024, around 8:30 p.m., at Elepe, Arulogun Road, Ojoo, Ibadan. The dispute began after Shittu accidentally collided with a motorcycle carrying two riders.
The argument, which started at the accident scene, reportedly moved to a nearby pub. Shittu was allegedly asked to pay ₦50,000 for treatment but offered only ₦8,000. He was prevented from leaving, stripped naked, and later fled, only to be pursued and brutally killed with a machete. His taxi was later found parked in front of one of the convict’s wife’s shops.
The prosecution noted that the acts violated Sections 316, 319, and 324 of the Criminal Code Laws of Oyo State 2000.
