Four Benue men arraigned for killing Ekiti chief

Ekiti State CP, Amba Asuquo

TRACKING____The police in Ekiti State, on Wednesday, arraigned four men before an Ado Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly killing the Onibedo of Ilotin, Ikole Ekiti, Chief Sola Fatunla.

The four Tiv men from Benue State, Sunday Aernana, 30; Aoufa Sule, 30; Jonathan Elijah, 19; and Moses Iorana, 24, are also standing trial for attempting to murder Aernana’s wife, Adebo Tadeni.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Bankole Olasunkanmi, told the court that the defendants on April 5, 2020, in Ikole-Ekiti, conspired to murder Fatunla.

He said, “One of the defendants, Sunday Aernana, accused the deceased of having an affair with his wife and conspired with the three other defendants to murder him. They tied the deceased to a tree, strangled him and set his corpse ablaze.

“The offence contravenes sections 324 and 319 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.”

Olasunkanmi also told the court that the defendants at the same time and place conspired among and attempted to murder Adebo Tadeni.

The prosecutor said, “The complainant was abducted by the defendants and was taken away with the intent to murder her, but she escaped.

“The offence contravenes sections 324 and 320 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.”

The police prosecutor said he had forwarded the case file to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr A. O. Oyebanji, ordered that the defendants be kept in police custody pending the issuance of legal advice from the office of the DPP.

Oyebanji adjourned the matter till May 11, 2020, for mention.