The Lagos High Court has found two pipeline vandals guilty of killing seven Department of State Security (DSS) agents in the Ishawo neighbourhood of Ikorodu in 2015.
The Lagos State Government proved the charges of conspiracy to commit murder, murder, and possession of firearms with intent to commit a felony against the first defendant, Clement Ododomu, according to Justice Hakeem Oshodi’s ruling. Tiwei Monday, the second defendant, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and failure to report a felony.
The offences violate Lagos State 2015’s Criminal Law, Cap. C. A Vol. 3, Sections 223 and 298(3).
The court postponed the inmates’ sentencing until November 14.
According to Channels TV, the prosecution had informed the court that the DSS had received a distress call regarding an alleged kidnapping in September 2015. They then sent out a nine-person rescue crew.
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During the trial, Saheed Adetunji, a DSS investigation officer, said in court that seven members of the nine-person rescue squad were captured after being ambushed by vandals in the Ishawo region. The other two were able to get away.
“The first defendant said that they took the seven DSS personnel to their hideout, into the Ishawo Creeks, called Barracks,” Adetunji said.
“When they got to their Barracks, the first defendant said he personally shot two of the DSS personnel with a pump-action rifle, while one Agbala shot the remaining five with an AK-47.
“The dead bodies were buried in three separate graves. The first defendant said that the graves were dug by some Ijaw boys and three slim operatives were packed in one. And the bigger ones were put in twos into the other graves,” Adetunji further stated.
Judge Oshodi’s ruling stated that the prosecution had proven a portion of the charge against the two convicted individuals beyond a reasonable doubt, despite the fact that the defendants had entered a guilty plea and denied committing the crime during their trial.
Additionally, the judge dismissed the defendants’ alibi, calling it a deception and an afterthought because there was insufficient evidence to support their assertions that they were at different locations when the offence was committed.
