Man Sentenced To D3ath For R@pe And M8rder Of 11-Year-Old Girl In Ondo

An Ondo State High Court located in Akure has handed down a death sentence by hanging to a middle-aged individual named Dare Ojo for the rape and murder of 11-year-old Zainab Adeyemo.

The judge presiding over the matter, Justice Yemi Fasanmi, convicted Ojo of both rape and murder following a widely publicised trial that spanned five years.

While pronouncing the verdict on Thursday, November 13, 2025, Justice Fasanmi ruled that the prosecution had successfully established the case against the accused beyond any reasonable doubt.

Consequently, the judge declared Ojo guilty on the charges and imposed the appropriate sentences.

The accused had initially been brought before the court on a two-count charge of unlawful sexual intercourse and murder committed on July 17, resmi 2020, at approximately 5:30 p.m., along the Irun/Ese-Akoko Road in Akoko North-East Local Government Area of Ondo State.

It was alleged that he strangled Zainab after raping her.

The prosecution stated that the defendant, who worked as a commercial motorcyclist, had picked up the young girl from Ise Market with the intention of transporting her to Irun, but deliberately did not take her to the agreed destination.

Her body was subsequently discovered in the bush.

The plea of the convict was recorded on June 14, 2023, after a further amendment to the charge sheet, during which he appealed for mercy.

Throughout the trial proceedings, the prosecution presented testimony from six witnesses, whereas the defendant gave evidence in his own defence but did not call any additional witnesses.

The defence lawyer, Messrs. Kolawole Oluiwa, urged the court to temper justice with mercy, pointing out that the defendant had shown remorse and had admitted the suffering inflicted on the victim’s family.

He further submitted that records from the correctional facility indicated that the defendant had been among the most well-behaved prisoners, and begged the court to impose a lighter sentence in view of his young age and his potential to make meaningful contributions to the nation’s economic development.

In delivering the judgement, Justice Fasanmi applied the doctrine of ‘last seen’ against the defendant, as he was the last individual known to have been with the deceased.

The judge additionally observed that in his extrajudicial statement, the defendant failed to offer any satisfactory explanation concerning the cause of the deceased’s death, particularly since she was discovered naked.

He referred to the autopsy and post-mortem reports, which revealed evidence of massive violence around the deceased’s vagina and neck, including signs of forceful penetration.

Justice Fasanmi characterised the case as a very pathetic one and praised the defence counsel for his punctuality throughout the entire trial period, emphasising that he never caused any delay to the prosecution.

The judge, however, maintained, “The defendant had robbed the deceased of her pride through his action, and I, therefore, find it a sacred duty to send a warning to pedophiles by ensuring justice was served for the victim.”

As a result, the court imposed a sentence of life imprisonment for the offence of rape under Section 31 (1), (2) and (3) of the Ondo State Child’s Rights Law, 2007, and the sentence of death by hanging for the offence of murder under Section 319 (1) of the Criminal Code, Cap 37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State, 2006.

In response to the judgement, the Executive Secretary of the Ondo State Agency Against Gender-Based Violence (OSAA-GBV), Barr. (Mrs.) Bola Afolabi, whose agency coordinated the prosecution, applauded the court for delivering justice to the victim, her family, and the state government.

Addressing journalists, she clarified that the case was originally filed in 2020, but was reactivated in 2023 after an amendment.

“At the end of the prosecution, he was found guilty on counts one and two. We have seen the end of the case today. It is a great relief,” she said.

“Unfortunately, the victim is no longer alive due to the defendant’s act, but today she got justice. For the defendant, he received judgement for the offences he committed. That is the beauty of the court — when there is justice for victims, everyone is happy. Today, we are happy and grateful to the court.”

She also praised the Director of Legal Services at OSAA-GBV, Barr. John Dada, who led the prosecution from the beginning until the final judgement.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli