A High Court in Ekiti State has condemned a 27-year-old man to death by hanging for raping and killing a 63-year-old woman. The accused person, Mr. Emmanuel Tometin, who hails from Ekore Village in Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State, was reported to have raped and killed Mrs. Ikubolaje on August 17, 2006 at about 2:00p.m at Oke Sele farm, Igirigiri Road, Odo-Ado in Ekiti State. She was reportedly attacked, raped and killed on her way to the farm.
The convict was arraigned on a two-count charge. On the first count of rape, he was sentenced to life imprisonment, while he was found guilty of murder and thereby sentenced to death by hanging. Tometin who was said to have attended Apostolic Primary School at Ekore and dropped out in primary four for lack of fund, had ever since been engaged in farming. He was said to have settled in Ado-Ekiti through a relative, Mr. Bassey, in 2004.
Tometin said he was the second child of his parents but added that his mother had left his father to remarry and gave his mother’s name as Mrs. Adiya Erekunpon. The Judge, Justice Ilori Akindayo, said after all findings and facts on the issue, his view was that Exhibit C, F, and G-G3, which indicted the accused were very relevant to the case and he recorded it as full evidence. He therefore ruled that the accused person be hanged by the neck until he is dead.
