Segun Philip, a 42-year-old prophet, and Owolabi Adeeko, a 23-year-old man, have been sentenced to death by hanging by an Osun State High Court in Ikire. They were found guilty of killing Favour Daley-Oladele, a final year student of Lagos State University, for ritual purposes in 2019. Justice Christiana Obadina also sentenced Owolabi’s mother, Bola, who is 46 years old, to two years imprisonment for consuming human flesh.
Daley-Oladele and Adeeko were in a romantic relationship and met at Lagos State University. In December 2019, Adeeko invited Daley-Oladele to Ikoyi, Osun State, but instead took her to Philip’s church in Ikoyi. There, she was drugged, killed with a pestle, and her organs were harvested. The defendants then buried her remains in a shallow grave within the church premises.
The harvested organs were used to prepare a concoction for Owolabi’s mother, as her business was facing difficulties at the time.
The three defendants were initially arraigned before a magistrates’ court in Apomu in January 2020. However, they were later re-arraigned before the High Court in Ikire in November 2021 for charges of conspiracy and murder.
During the trial, the prosecution team presented evidence, including the confession of Owolabi, who admitted to using his girlfriend for a money ritual to benefit his mother. The prosecution called nine witnesses and submitted various exhibits.
The defendants chose not to call any witnesses but testified in their defense.
The defense counsel, Adeshina Olaniyan, pleaded for leniency during his address to the court.
Justice Obadina, in her judgment, concluded that the prosecution had convincingly proven the case, finding Philip and Owolabi guilty of conspiracy and murder. They were sentenced to death by hanging for murder and received 14 years imprisonment for conspiracy. Owolabi’s mother, Bola, was sentenced to two years imprisonment for consuming human flesh.
