Court sentences hotel official to death by hanging for killing manager

An Ikeja High Court has sentenced a 30-year-old hotel official, Jeffrey Ehizojie, to death by hanging for strangling his employer, Olusola Olusoga, and the hotel manager, Tunji Omikunle, to death.

Delivering judgement on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, Justice Oyindamola Ogala held that the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Justice Ogala found Ehizojie guilty of beating and strangling the Managing Director of Etsahol Hotel and Suites located at Ojodu-Berger, Lagos State.

She said the crux of the case of the prosecution was premised on the confessional statement of the convict as well as circumstantial evidence.

According to the judge, the court carefully considered the retracted defence statement (admitted as evidence) which showed where Ehizojie stated that one of the hotel staff, Henry, had informed him that he observed that the owner of the hotel kept much money at home.

The judge added that the court also considered the evidence of the defendant, particularly his account of how he left the hotel premises on January 25, 2019, and his story as to why he did not return to the hotel after the incident nor report at the police station.

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She held that the convict had no clear explanation about the reason he fled to Port Harcourt the next day until his arrest.

According to her, the circumstantial evidence against the convict was unequivocal, positive, and irresistibly pointed to his guilt.

She said: “The court believes that the defendant indeed wrote the confessional statement (exhibit PW2a-c) and his feeble attempt to retract same was to exonerate himself from the commission of the deadly act.

“After a careful consideration of the facts in this case, I hereby find the defendant guilty of the two-count charge against him.

“The sentencing of the court upon you Jeffrey Ehizogie is that you be hanged by the neck until you are dead.”

The state prosecution told the court that Ehizogie and others still at large, strangulated the UK returnee Olusoga by beating her with a rope.

They added that the convict also strangled and beat Omikunle to death.

He was said to have collected a key from his pocket, opened Olusola’s apartment, and strangled her to death.

The Star