There were gasps of shock and outraged yesterday in Court 9, Akure, Ondo State, when suspected killers of former Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Professor Albert Ilemobade, Daniel Ita Effiom and Olayemi Bamitale, who had earlier confessed to killing the VC, denied it.
The accused were docked yesterday in court presided by Justice Williams Rotimi Olamide. The accused were however remanded in prison custody for robbery, conspiracy and murder, pending trial.
Ilemobade was allegedly killed by his domestic Effiom and Bamitale in his house after carting away his car and other valuable items in June this year. They confessed during the interrogation that they killed the septuagenarian when they tried to steal his car.
The suspects, who had earlier confessed to the crime, pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge preferred against them. Earlier in June after their arrest, Effiom, security nightguard and Bamitale, his former driver confessed to the crime and narrated how they murdered the former university don.
They said they killed him in order to sell his red Toyota Rav 4 Jeep. The accused back then said they killed the VC in his compound and made it look like he was kidnapped.
They confessed to have strangulated Ilemobade, before carting away his personal properties and driving off with his Red Toyota SUV Jeep to Lagos where they had planned to sell their loots at cheaper rates. They said: “We called our boss out of the compound and lied to him that there was an outbreak in the small security guard room.
In the statement of offence filed by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs. Adeyemi Tuki, on behalf of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the accused were charged with conspiracy to commit murder contrary to section 324 code, cap 37 Vol 1, laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.
The particulars of offence states: “that you Ita Effiom and Olayemi Bamitale on about 21st of June, 2015, at No 1 Ikere Street, Ijapo Estate, Akure, in the judicial division, conspired to murder one Prof. Albert Adeoye Ilemobade.”
The suspects in another statement of offence were also charged with murder contrary to section 319 of the criminal code, Vol 1, laws of Ondo State. In the particulars of offence, the accused were said to have murdered the late VC by strangulating him to death in his house.
The two accused persons were also charged with robbery contrary to section 1(2) (b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) act, cap R11 laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The particulars of the offence stated that the accused, while using personal violence did rob the late professor of his Toyota RAV 4, laptop, iPad and a sum of N7, 000.00.
They however pleaded not guilty to the charges. But their counsel, Mr. Abduraman Yusuf, did not apply for the bail but opted for summary trial.
