A High Court in Minna has sentenced a 16-year-old girl, Joy Afekafe, to life imprisonment after finding her guilty of culpable hom+cide and armed r%bbery in connection with the br¥tal m¥rder of Dr. (Mrs.) Funmilayo Sherifat Adefolalu, a lecturer at the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna.
Justice Mohammed Adishetu Mohammed, presiding over the case at High Court No. 4, ruled that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. Afekafe was convicted under Sections 221 and 298 of the Penal Code, which address culpable h%micide and armed r%bbery.
The tragic incident occurred on 28 October 2023 at the lecturer’s residence in Gbaiko, Minna. Joy, who had been employed as a housemaid earlier that month, was introduced to the victim’s household by Pastor Ojo Peters of the Voice of Mercy Church, which both the victim and the convict’s mother attended.
During her stay, Joy reportedly began ste@ling valuables, including foreign currency. Upon discovery, Dr. Adefolalu dismissed her. Following the dismissal, Joy allegedly conspired with two accomplices—DJ Wallex and DJ Smart, who are currently at large, to att@ck the lecturer.
In her confession to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Joy recounted how her friends st@bbed the lecturer multiple times before bl¥dgeoning her with a wooden stool. They stole her phones, a laptop, and more foreign currency before fleeing the scene.
In delivering judgment, Justice Mohammed emphasized that the evidence, including Joy’s confession and court testimony, confirmed her involvement in the k+lling. Although Joy was 14 at the time of the crime, she was sentenced to life imprisonment due to her age, as the law prohibits the de@th penalty for m+nors.
The judge stated, “The prosecution has successfully established that the deceased d+ed as a result of inj¥ries inflicted by the convict and her accomplices, with clear intent to k+ll.”
Joy’s accomplices remain at large as authorities continue investigations.
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