An Ikeja High Court yesterday sentenced the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Chairman, Aiyetoro Unit, Saheed Arogundade, to death by hanging for killing a policeman, Gbenga Oladipupo.
The court, presided over by Justice Olabisi Akinlade found Arogundade guilty of a two-count charge of murder and conspiracy to murder.
The convict was initially arraigned alongside five others, Mustapha Layeni, Adebayo Abdullahi, Seyi Pabiekun, Sikiru Rufai and Yusuf Arogundade, who were later discharged and acquitted by the court.
The state prosecutor, Mrs. Rotimi, said the policeman was brutally stabbed to death on April 10, 2010 by the NURTW chairman and some thugs at Gbara junction of the Aiyetoro area of Ajegunle, Lagos.
Earlier during the trial, the second prosecution witness, Ismaila Lukman, told the court that he witnessed the murder of the police officer.
Lukman, a commercial okada rider, said the deceased, on that day, called him to give him a ride to his mother’s house at Layinka area of Aiyetoro, Ajegunle when he was ambushed and killed by the convicts and some men.
He said: “The deceased called me to give him a ride to his mother’s house when four men approached us and dragged the deceased down from my motorcycle.
“One of them, Arogundade, brought out a knife and stabbed him at the back. I ran off to go and seek help from other fellow riders but when I returned, the other three men were hitting the deceased with their fists.
“I could not see the faces of the other men clearly because I was gazing at Arogundade who stabbed him. When I got close to the deceased, I realised he had been badly stabbed all over his body and was bleeding severely.”
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