An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced a 41-year-old man, Olasunkanmi Kareem, to life imprisonment for attempting to murder his former employer by setting him ablaze.
Kareem was arraigned on November 18, 2024, on a one-count charge of attempted murder, contrary to Section 241 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
The charge sheet stated that on August 11, 2024, at Ifaki Ekiti, he attempted to murder Omoboriwo Bashiru by dousing him with petrol and setting him on fire.
During the trial, the victim, Bashiru, narrated his harrowing experience before the court.
He revealed that Kareem was once his apprentice at a mechanic workshop, and even after completing his training, he continued to assist him with challenging repairs.
According to Bashiru, Kareem called him around 8 PM on the day of the incident to inquire about a carburetor he had previously repaired.
When Bashiru informed him that he did not have it, Kareem allegedly became abusive and threatened to set him ablaze.
“He later called and told me where he was. We met at a vulcanizer’s workshop, and an argument ensued. Unknown to me, he had a gallon of petrol in his hand. It was dark, so I did not see it until he poured it on me. I tried to run, but my body was already on fire. I fell into a drainage, and passersby rescued me, extinguishing the flames. I suffered severe burns and was rushed to the hospital,” Bashiru recounted.
Nhina Adeyemo, presented four witnesses and tendered Kareem’s statements, photographs of the victim’s injuries, and a medical report as evidence. Kareem testified in his defense but did not call any witnesses.
In his judgment, Justice Jibril Aladejana found that Kareem had lured the victim to the location, ambushed him behind an electric pole, and intentionally set him on fire.
The judge ruled that Kareem’s actions were premeditated and constituted an attempt to murder.
“The facts before the court show that the defendant deliberately set out to harm the victim. But for the intervention of passersby, the victim would have died. This intentional act of causing grievous bodily harm amounts to attempted murder,”
the judge stated.