A 16-year-old girl, Miss Joy Afekafe, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a High Court in Minna, Niger State, for the culpable homicide and armed robbery of Dr. Mrs. Funmilayo Sherifat Adefolalu, a lecturer at the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna.
The judgment was delivered on Wednesday, July 10, by Justice Mohammed Adishetu Mohammed of Minna High Court No. 4.
The tragic incident occurred on October 28, 2023, at Dr. Adefolalu’s residence in Gbaiko, Minna. Joy Afekafe, who was 14 years old at the time, had worked as the lecturer’s housemaid for about three weeks. She was subsequently dismissed due to misconduct, including being caught stealing cash and valuables.
Following her dismissal, Afekafe conspired with two friends, identified as Walex and Smart, to attack the lecturer.
According to her confession to the police, they stormed Dr. Adefolalu’s home, where they stabbed her multiple times with knives and struck her head with a wooden stool when she resisted. The attackers then stole two phones, a laptop, and foreign currency before fleeing the scene. The two male suspects remain at large.
During the investigation, the Niger State Police Command recovered two bloodstained knives from the scene, and Dr. Adefolalu was confirmed dead at IBB Hospital, Minna.
Justice Mohammed Adishetu Mohammed found Joy Afekafe guilty on both counts of culpable homicide and armed robbery, stating that the prosecution had proven the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
Although culpable homicide punishable by death typically carries a death sentence under Section 221 of the Penal Code, Laws of Niger State 1989, the judge noted that a death sentence cannot be pronounced or recorded if the convict is less than 18 years old at the time of the offense.
Consequently, Afekafe received a life sentence for the homicide and an additional ten years for armed robbery. She will serve both sentences concurrently in a custodial center.
