A High Court in Ikeja, Lagos State, sentenced domestic worker Joseph Ogbu to death by hanging on Monday for the murders of his employer, 89‑year‑old Adejoke John, and her daughter, Oreoluwa, in their Surulere home. Justice Modupe Nicole‑Clay delivered the verdict after finding Ogbu guilty of three counts of armed robbery and murder.
Ogbu was arrested after the June 19, 2019 attacks, during which he strangled Adejoke and stabbed her pregnant daughter to death. He also stole Adejoke’s Toyota Camry Saloon (plate FST 104 CW), a LG plasma TV, a motorway handset, a Gionee handset, a Nokia phone, an i‑Tel phone, and a power bank. The prosecutor said the crimes occurred around 9:30 p.m. at No 4 Ogunlana Drive, Surulere. The Lagos State Government arraigned Ogbu on October 22, 2019 on three counts of armed robbery and murder, citing violations of Sections 222 and 297 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015. Ogbu pleaded not guilty.
During the trial, Justice Nicole‑Clay held that Ogbu confessed to the killings, stating, “He killed Adejoke by strangling her and Oreoluwa by stabbing her to death.” The judge considered testimony from a security guard, an Okada rider, Yahya Ibrahim, a house help, and a policeman. Ogbu admitted to living with the victims and was the only witness to the incident; he did not contest the admissibility of his confession. The judge noted that Ogbu could not explain the presence of the stolen items when he was found with them at around 2 a.m. on the day of his arrest. “The evidence satisfies this court, and guilt is established,” Nicole‑Clay said, adding, “He is hereby guilty as charged.”
When the judge informed Ogbu of his conviction, the defendant responded in Pidgin English, “The mama no die for my presence. I beg for mercy.” Defense counsel Moses Enema pleaded for leniency, describing Ogbu as a first‑time offender, the son of a young widow who depends on him, and noting his remorse as a sign of willingness to reform. He asked the court to temper justice with mercy.
Justice Nicole‑Clay concluded, “This court has found Joseph Ogbu guilty of these heinous crimes; you are hereby sentenced to death by hanging.”
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