An Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure has sentenced Sunday Omoniyi, a middle-aged man, to death by hanging for the murder of his co-tenant, Michael Oyebanji. The tragic incident occurred during a heated altercation between the two men.
Omoniyi was charged with one count of murder, contrary to Section 316 and punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap 37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria 2006.
The fatal confrontation took place on July 23, 2022, around 6:30 a.m. at No. 4, Canaanland, Ijoka Road, Akure. A key witness, Ismaila Adefaka, who is also the landlord of the property, testified that he heard a commotion and rushed to Omoniyi’s apartment, where he found Oyebanji lying in a pool of blood.
The victim was later confirmed dead at the hospital, prompting Adefaka to report the matter to the police.
Other co-tenants – Adedeji Gift, Adedugbe Opeyemi, and Aremu Opeyemi – corroborated the account, stating that the argument between the two men stemmed from a dispute over closing the house door.
Although the initial disagreement appeared to have been resolved, they later heard Oyebanji shouting and returned to find him bleeding on the floor, with Omoniyi holding a blood-stained knife.
During the trial, Adedugbe Opeyemi revealed that Omoniyi admitted to stabbing Oyebanji in retaliation after receiving a punch from the deceased.
The court found Omoniyi guilty and handed down the death sentence, marking a grim end to a domestic dispute that escalated fatally.
