THE Lagos State High Court in Ikeja has convicted two members of a pipeline vandal group for the 2015 murder of seven Department of State Security (DSS) employees in the Ishawo area of Ikorodu.
In his decision, Justice Hakeem Oshodi stated that the prosecution – the Lagos State Government – proved conspiracy to commit murder, murder, and possession of firearms with intent to commit a felony against the first defendant, Clement Ododomu, while the second defendant, Tiwei Monday, was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and failure to report a felony.
The offenses are in violation of Sections 223 and 298 (3) of the Lagos State Criminal Law, Cap. C. A Vol. 3, 2015.
The court, however, postponed the offenders’ sentencing until November 14th.
According to the prosecution, the DSS received a distress call concerning an alleged kidnapping in September 2015. They then dispatched a nine-man rescue crew.
During the trial, Saheed Adetunji, an investigating officer with the DSS, said in court that seven of the nine-man rescue team were attacked and kidnapped by vandals in the Ishawo region. The remaining two however managed to escape.
“The first defendant said that they took the seven DSS personnel to their hideout, into the Ishawo Creeks, called Barracks,” Adetunji said.
The officer also identified the 2nd defendant, Monday, who confessed that he was a part of the group of vandals who used teargas and pepper spray on the DSS personnel.
“When they got to their Barracks, the first defendant said he personally shot two of the DSS personnel with a pump-action rifle, while one Agbala shot the remaining five with an AK-47.
“The dead bodies were buried in three separate graves. The first defendant said that the graves were dug by some Ijaw boys and three slim operatives were packed in one. And the bigger ones were put in twos into the other graves,” he stated.
Moreover, despite the fact that the defendants pleaded guilty and denied committing the crime throughout their trial, Justice Oshodi ruled that the prosecution was able to prove part of the case against the two convicts beyond all reasonable doubt.
The judge also dismissed the defendants’ alibi, calling it a deception and an afterthought because there was no convincing evidence to back up their claims of being in different areas at the time of the crime.
He went on to say that their attempts to reject their confessional statement were ineffective, and that the evidence presented in court indicated that their comments were made voluntarily.
The Director of Public Prosecution, DPP has requested the court to impose the maximum punishment on the accused in order to send a strong message that the state will not accept the killing of anyone, particularly officials on duty. He also utilized the occasion to call on the DSS to apprehend one Agbala, who was accused of shooting five of their personnel.
