In a verdict delivered on Thursday, a High Court in Ado Ekiti sentenced Ayodeji Alomoge, aged 28, to death by hanging for the murder of his wife’s lover.
Alomoge stood trial before Justice Jubril Aladejana in April 2023, facing a single count charge of murder. Justice Aladejana, in delivering the judgement, dismissed any notion of provocation due to romantic rivalry, asserting that such conflicts do not justify violence. He found Alomoge guilty of the murder charge and pronounced the sentence of death by hanging.
The incident, which occurred on June 21, 2022, in Ikere-Ekiti, saw Alomoge fatally assault Ayomide Ogunleye over his alleged relationship with Alomoge’s wife. The police charged Alomoge under Section 234 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
In a statement to the police, the victim’s father, Ige, recounted receiving a distressed call from his wife in the early hours of the morning, informing him of the attack on their son. Upon arriving at the scene, Ige found his son severely injured and bleeding. Alomoge, confronted about the assault, admitted to the act, citing his suspicion of Ayomide’s affair with his wife.
To support the prosecution’s case, Kunle-Shina Adeyemo presented five witnesses and submitted various pieces of evidence, including the defendant’s statements, images of the deceased, and the medical report detailing the cause of death.
In his defense, represented by lawyer Adeyinka Opaleke, Alomoge appealed to the court for leniency, opting not to call any witnesses.
