Court convicts two men for killing DSS operatives in Ikorodu.

Court convicts two men for killing DSS operatives in Ikorodu.

A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, yesterday, convicted two pipeline vandals; Clement Ododomu and Tiwei Monday, for conspiracy and murder of seven officers of Department of State Security (DSS), at Ishawo Creek of Ikorodu area on September 14, 2015.

The trial judge, Hakeem Oshodi, in his judgement, found the two accused guilty, but deferred their sentencing to November 14, after hearing the plea of the convicts.

The court found the first defendant, Ododomu, guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, murder, possession of firearms and felony, while the second defendant, Monday, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and felony.

The state government said the trouble started on September 14, 2015, when the DSS office received a distress report from an Editor of the Sun Newspaper about the kidnap of his wife at their residence.

“The Command immediately dispatched a nine-man team to carry out a surveillance operation to ascertain the location of the kidnappers that were negotiating for a ransom.

“However, in the evening, one of the team members, Mr. Martins Ajayi, sent a distressed text message to the station, saying they had been ambushed by vandals who had seized their weapons.

The two suspects were, thereafter, arrested and arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on murder and possession of firearms contrary to Section 223 and 298 (3) of the Criminal Law, Cap. C. A Vol. 3, laws of Lagos State 2015.

They pleaded not guilty to all the counts and the prosecution began trial.

However, in his judgment, Justice Oshodi, held that the defendants’ claim that they were in Lagos for the funeral service of their grandmother was a ruse, because they failed to provide essential witnesses to corroborate their claim.

The court also held that the prosecutor was unable to prove the charge of murder against the second defendant, as the evidence before the court showed that it was one Agbala, who is still at large, and the first defendant that killed the operatives.

He, however, held that the prosecutor was able to prove the culpability of the two defendants for felony, being part of the group that ambushed the operatives.

He said: “Upon proper evaluation of the evidence before the court, the convicts are discharged and acquitted on counts of 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8, because the prosecutor was unable to prove the allegations against them.

“However, the prosecutor was able to prove that the first defendant, Ododomu, is guilty of counts 1, 5, 7, 9 and 10, which border on conspiracy to commit murder, murder, possession of firearms and felony, while the second defendant, Monday, is found guilty of counts 1 and 10, which border on conspiracy to commit murder and felony.”

After the court pronounced them guilty as charged, the defence counsel, Mr. Olusegun Akande, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing them.

In his response, the prosecutor and Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Dr. Babajide Martins, urged the court to convict them as stipulated by the section under which they were charged.