An Akure Chief Magistrate Court in Ondo State has ordered the remand of three individuals at the Olokuta Correctional Centre over their alleged involvement in the murder of a 36-year-old farmer, Sunday Ayeni.
The accused, identified as Abdullah Halilu Tumbi, 59; Mohamodu Adamu Bonkolo, 50; and Shagari Muhammed, 45, face charges related to the killing of Ayeni, which occurred just days after they reportedly compensated the farmer for damages caused by their herds and cattle to his crops.
The incident took place at Uba Akoko in Akoko South-West Local Government Area, where Ayeni was discovered in a pool of blood on his farm. His body bore brutal injuries, with his stomach ripped open, allegedly by the three suspects.
The police have charged the defendants with conspiracy and murder, to which they pleaded not guilty. The prosecution, led by Folashade Adeyemi, informed the court that the crime was committed on August 10, 2024, at Afiri Camp near Oka-Akoko. The prosecution alleges that the defendants conspired with others, who are still at large, to stab Ayeni with a cutlass while he was working on his farm.
The charges read: “That you, Abdullah Halilu Tumbi, Mohamodu Adamu Bonkolo, and Shagari Muhammed, along with others still at large, did stab one Ayeni Sunday with a sharp cutlass during a clash on his farm, resulting in his death.”
The prosecutor stated that the offence violates Sections 316, 319, and 324 of the Criminal Code Law of Ondo State, 2006, and requested the court to remand the defendants at a correctional facility pending advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Chief Magistrate A. Akinboboye, while not taking the pleas of the defendants, ordered their remand at the Olokuta Correctional Centre in Akure. The magistrate directed that the case file be duplicated and forwarded to the DPP’s office and adjourned the case until December for mention.
