Ogun Court Sentences Three to Death and Life Imprisonment for Ritual Killing of 16-Year-Old Girl
An Ogun State High Court has sentenced two men to death and one to life imprisonment for the brutal ritual killing of 16-year-old Sofia Okeowo in Abeokuta. The convicts were found guilty of sexually assaulting, murdering, and beheading the girl in 2022. A viral video of the act led to their arrest and prosecution.
Enet
A High Court in Ogun State on Friday found three young men guilty of the ritual murder of 16-year-old Sofia Okeowo in the Kugba area of Abeokuta South Local Government. The court sentenced them to various terms based on their involvement.
Mustakeem Balogun, Soliudeen Majekodunmi, and Lukmon Abdulgafar were arrested in connection with Sofia's brutal murder on January 28, 2022. A fourth suspect, Waris Oladeinde, was released on March 22, 2022, due to insufficient evidence against him.
Court documents revealed that Sofia visited her boyfriend, Mustakeem, who then forced himself on her. During the assault, her attackers attacked and strangled her and later decapitated her. They also cut parts of her thighs and placed her headless body in a sack. Her head was taken to Lukmon’s house, where it was burned using a local burner.
The crime attracted public attention after a video surfaced. In it, community guards arrested the suspects while Sofia’s head was burning and her body was seen being recited over with incantations.
On Friday, the court sentenced Mustakeem and Soliudeen to death for their role in the murder. Lukmon received a life sentence.
Oluwasina Ogungbade, the Attorney-General and Justice Commissioner, responded to the verdict. He said Ogun State had won this case. The convicts will be kept away from society for a long time.
He praised prosecutors from the Ministry of Justice for their work. Ogungbade said the state is committed to justice and will not spare resources to find it. He also urged young people to seek skills or employment instead of turning to money rituals.
He called on everyone to return to traditional values of hard work, respect for law, and shared responsibility for guiding the young.
