Worker to hang to death for killing Lagos hotelier and manager
A Lagos State High Court sitting in the Ikeja area of the state on Tuesday convicted and sentenced to death by hanging a former hotel employee, Jeffrey Ehizojie, for killing Etashol and Suites Hotel owner Olusola Olusoga and hotel manager Tunji Omikunle in the Ojodu Berger area of the state.
Judge Oyindamola Ogala convicted Ehizojie, 30, of beating and strangling Olusoga.
Ogala found that the prosecution had proven the two-count murder charge beyond a reasonable doubt.
In her judgment, the judge found that the essence of the prosecution's case was based on the convict's confession statement as well as on circumstantial evidence.
She said the court carefully reviewed the retracted statement of defense, which showed where Ehizojie said one of the hotel employees, Henry, informed her that he had observed that the owner of the hotel kept a lot of money at home.
Ogala said: "The defendant in his confessional statement said that Olusoga treated his workers badly, so they planned to tie him up and get his money back. The confessional statement is the best evidence on which to base a conviction and, as has been the case in several cases, it can only be invoked if it is voluntary.
"It is curious that the defendant who was aware of the situation in the hotel told the court that he was shocked when the police informed him of the death of his boss and of the director while he was arrested in Port Harcourt.
"There is no doubt that the accused was present at the scene of the crime as he confirmed in his testimony in chief and his exhibits in court."
The judge further stated that the court carefully considered the defendant's evidence, in particular his account of how he left the hotel premises on January 25, 2019, and his incredible story of why he hadn't returned. at the hotel after the incident or report to the police station.
She found that the convict had no clear explanation as to why he fled to Port Harcourt the following day until his arrest.
According to her, the circumstantial evidence against the convict was unequivocal, positive and pointed irresistibly to his guilt.
She said: "The court finds that the accused did indeed write the confession statement (exhibit PW2a-c) and his feeble attempt to retract it was to exonerate himself from the commission of the deadly act.
"After careful consideration of the facts of this case, I hereby find the accused guilty on both counts against him.
"The sentence of the court against you Jeffrey Ehizogie is that you be hanged by the neck until you are dead."
The convict, from Edo State, was arraigned on December 7, 2020 for the murder of his boss and the hotel manager and he pleaded not guilty to the charge brought against him.
The offense committed was a violation of Section 223 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
Ehizojie's trial began on February 25, 2021, and the prosecution called four witnesses, including David Nkwor, a computer engineer who worked at the Etsahol hotel in 2010.
Several documents were presented while the convict testified as the sole witness for himself.
During the trial, Nkwor testified that it was the police who woke him up at the news of the crime at the hotel and after informing him of the situation, made him write a statement to the State Criminal Investigation Department Panti Yaba.
Nkwor also identified some co-workers at the hotel to SCID police, from video footage shown on the hotel's CCTV.
He told the court that he was able to identify his then colleagues Jeffery Ehizojie, Henry, White and a fourth person in the video, beating the manager and after killing him, it was left inside the hotel restroom.
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A Lagos State High Court sitting in the Ikeja area of the state on Tuesday convicted and sentenced to death by hanging a former hotel employee, Jeffrey Ehizojie, for killing Etashol and Suites Hotel owner Olusola Olusoga and hotel manager Tunji Omikunle in the Ojodu Berger area of the state.
Judge Oyindamola Ogala convicted Ehizojie, 30, of beating and strangling Olusoga.
Ogala found that the prosecution had proven the two-count murder charge beyond a reasonable doubt.
In her judgment, the judge found that the essence of the prosecution's case was based on the convict's confession statement as well as on circumstantial evidence.
She said the court carefully reviewed the retracted statement of defense, which showed where Ehizojie said one of the hotel employees, Henry, informed her that he had observed that the owner of the hotel kept a lot of money at home.
Ogala said: "The defendant in his confessional statement said that Olusoga treated his workers badly, so they planned to tie him up and get his money back. The confessional statement is the best evidence on which to base a conviction and, as has been the case in several cases, it can only be invoked if it is voluntary.
"It is curious that the defendant who was aware of the situation in the hotel told the court that he was shocked when the police informed him of the death of his boss and of the director while he was arrested in Port Harcourt.
"There is no doubt that the accused was present at the scene of the crime as he confirmed in his testimony in chief and his exhibits in court."
The judge further stated that the court carefully considered the defendant's evidence, in particular his account of how he left the hotel premises on January 25, 2019, and his incredible story of why he hadn't returned. at the hotel after the incident or report to the police station.
She found that the convict had no clear explanation as to why he fled to Port Harcourt the following day until his arrest.
According to her, the circumstantial evidence against the convict was unequivocal, positive and pointed irresistibly to his guilt.
She said: "The court finds that the accused did indeed write the confession statement (exhibit PW2a-c) and his feeble attempt to retract it was to exonerate himself from the commission of the deadly act.
"After careful consideration of the facts of this case, I hereby find the accused guilty on both counts against him.
"The sentence of the court against you Jeffrey Ehizogie is that you be hanged by the neck until you are dead."
The convict, from Edo State, was arraigned on December 7, 2020 for the murder of his boss and the hotel manager and he pleaded not guilty to the charge brought against him.
The offense committed was a violation of Section 223 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
Ehizojie's trial began on February 25, 2021, and the prosecution called four witnesses, including David Nkwor, a computer engineer who worked at the Etsahol hotel in 2010.
Several documents were presented while the convict testified as the sole witness for himself.
During the trial, Nkwor testified that it was the police who woke him up at the news of the crime at the hotel and after informing him of the situation, made him write a statement to the State Criminal Investigation Department Panti Yaba.
Nkwor also identified some co-workers at the hotel to SCID police, from video footage shown on the hotel's CCTV.
He told the court that he was able to identify his then colleagues Jeffery Ehizojie, Henry, White and a fourth person in the video, beating the manager and after killing him, it was left inside the hotel restroom.
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