A 30-year-old hotel staff, Ehizogie Jeffrey, has been sentenced to death by hanging by Justice Oyindamola Ogala of the Lagos High Court. Jeffrey was found guilty of the murder of a United Kingdom (UK) returnee, Sola Olusoga, and the manager of Etasol Hotel, Tunji Omikunle.
The state government had filed a murder charge against Jeffrey, alleging that he and others at large strangled Olusoga with a rope on January 25, 2019, at Etasol Hotel in Ojodu-Berger. They also killed the hotel manager by strangling and beating him to death.
Jeffrey was charged under Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015, and his trial began on February 25, 2021. During the trial, the prosecution presented four witnesses, including a former hotel staff and two police officers.
The first prosecution witness testified that Jeffrey and another employee were present at the hotel on the night of the incident. He described how the police discovered the manager’s body and the evidence from CCTV footage showing Jeffrey and others beating the manager and killing him.
In delivering the verdict, Justice Ogala stated that the evidence presented, including the confessional statements, corroborated the facts of the case. She concluded that there was no doubt that Jeffrey was present at the scene of the crime and had the motive and opportunity to commit the offenses.
The court found Jeffrey guilty on the two counts of murder and sentenced him to death by hanging. The judge noted Jeffrey’s lack of a clear explanation for his actions after the incident and his attempt to retract his confessional statement.
The sentence serves as a deterrent and a punishment for Jeffrey’s crime. The court hoped that it would bring justice to the victims and their families.
