Togolese cook who killed his boss, Badamosi gets life imprisonment

Chidi Samuel|

An Igbosere high court on Tuesday sentenced Sunday Anani, the Togolese cook, who murdered Ope Bademosi, chairman of Credit Switch Technology while trying to rob him in his Ikoyi residence in 2018.

Anani, who was arraigned on a two – count charge of murder and armed robbery was convicted by Justice Mobolanle Okikiolu-Ighile, after he pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of voluntary manslaughter.

Delivering judgement, Okikiolu-Ighile said it was painful that the accused caused an endless pain to the family of the late Badamosi.

The Judge said, “It is annoying that a young man like this would involve himself in this kind of crime.”

“It is very painful that a young boy whom the family of Bademosi welcomed in their home as a cook ended up causing so much havoc and endless pain.

“It is even more painful that the defendant had no motive of working but came into the house with a criminal intention to steal to kill and to destroy.

“Sunday Adefonou Anani, defendant of this court, is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment. The term of imprisonment shall commence from today June 25, 2019.”

Earlier at the resumed hearing, counsel for the accused, Aderenra Adeyemi, pleade with the court to be lenient with judgement as the defendant is remorseful of his action.

He said, “The defendant is a young man and he is remorseful about what he has done.”

“He is a first time offender, there is no evidence that he committed any crime before this. Our humble application is to urge your lordship to grant a sentence of years certain. However, if my lordship is mindful of upholding what we have agreed in the plea bargain, we will accept the sentence therein.”

But opposing the defense counsel,Titilayo Shitta-Bey, the state director of public prosecutions (DPP), noted that they were some aggravating circumstances surrounding the case.

According to her, “We urge this court to grant the maximum sentence for the offence of voluntary manslaughter act as charged.”

“Judicial notice must be taken of the fact that this act of violence by domestic employees against their employers is becoming rampant.

“The sentence must reflect that this conduct is unacceptable to our society; we must send the message to others of like minds like the defendant.”