Olasunkanmi Kareem, a 41 year old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the attempted murder of his former boss by setting him ablaze. The sentence was handed down by an Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti.
The suspect was arraigned before the court on November 18, 2024 on a one count charge of attempted murder. The charges were bought pursuant to Section 241 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
The charge sheet, “The defendant, on August 11, 2024, at Ifaki Ekiti, attempted to murder one Omoboriwo Bashiru by setting him ablaze.”
Explaining his ordeal before the court, the victim said, “The defendant was once my apprentice at my mechanic workshop. Even after he graduated, I continued to assist him whenever he had issues with customers’ cars.
“On that day, he called me around 8p.m, asking about a carburetor I had helped him repair. When I told him I didn’t see it, he became abusive and threatened to set me ablaze wherever he found me. I thought he was joking. Later, I called him, and he 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. Since it was dark, I didn’t see it until he poured it on me. When I realized it was petrol, I tried to run, but my body was already on fire. I fell into a drainage before some passersby rescued me and put out the fire. I suffered severe burns and was rushed to the hospital,” Bashiru recounted.
Justice Jibril Aladejana in his judgement decided that Kareem deceitfully lured the victim to an unknown location and ambushed him before soaking him with petrol and then setting him on fire.
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 ruled.
“In my view, the defendant does not deserve leniency. He should face the full wrath of the law,” Aladejana added before sentencing Kareem to life imprisonment.
