Court sentences man to de@th by hanging for force-feeding s*x worker with herbicide in Ekiti
A 26-year-old man, David Isaiah, has been sentenced to death by hanging by the Ekiti State High Court for the murder of a commercial sex worker, Comfort James.
Justice Olalekan Olatawura, on Monday, convicted Isaiah on three counts — conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder.
The court handed him the death penalty for murder, life imprisonment for kidnapping, and 21 years for conspiracy.
According to the charge, Isaiah and his late accomplice, Saviour Daniel, conspired to abduct and kill James on February 6, 2024, in Ado Ekiti. Daniel reportedly died during the course of the trial.
The prosecution, led by Ibironke Odetola, stated that the crimes violated Sections 280, 279(a), and 234 of the Ekiti State Criminal Law, 2021.
During the trial, the Director of Afrika Brothel in Irona, Ado Ekiti, testified that James went missing after she called her colleagues, claiming she had been kidnapped and her abductors were demanding N100,000 for her release.
Authorities tracked the suspects’ phone lines, leading to their arrest. They later led police to where the victim’s body had been dumped.
The prosecution presented several pieces of evidence, including Isaiah’s confessional statements, photos of the deceased, SIM cards, slippers, and a bottle of herbicide.
In his confession, Isaiah admitted that he and others tied the victim’s hands and neck.
When the ransom demand failed and fearing she had seen their faces, they forced herbicide down her throat, resulting in her death.
He did not call any witnesses in his defence.
Justice Olatawura ruled that the prosecution had established its case beyond reasonable doubt and pronounced:
“The defendant is found guilty as charged. Any plea for leniency is not justified. The judgment of this court upon you is that you be hanged until you are dead. May God have mercy on your soul.”
