May 11, 2026. An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has sentenced a young man, Kolade Tosin, to death by hanging for the murder of 17-year-old Ifeoluwa Apanpa, a ruling that has sent shockwaves through the local community and reignited public discourse on gender-based violence.
Justice Mojisola I. Sule delivered the landmark judgment on Monday, finding the defendant guilty on two counts of murder and rape. The tragic incident occurred in September 2022 in the Olodo area of Ibadan, where the victim was attacked while on her way to a church service.
Presiding over Court 9, Justice Sule ruled that the prosecution had successfully proven the five essential elements of the rape charge and the act of unlawful killing beyond a reasonable doubt. Describing the evidence against the convict as very compelling, the judge noted that the law left no room for leniency.
Section 319(1) of the Criminal Code admits of no option and has no discretion in court, Justice Sule declared while pronouncing the death sentence for the murder charge. The court further sentenced Tosin to life imprisonment for the rape of the minor, stating that the punishment would run concurrently with the death sentence. The convict was immediately remanded to the Agodi Custodial Centre.
The prosecution team, led by Oyo State Attorney General Abiodun Aikomo, presented four witnesses during the trial, including the victim’s father, a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, and the pastor of the church where the crime took place.
According to case files, the convict, who was 20 years old at the time of the incident, used a key to gain entry to the church. He allegedly lured the victim inside under the pretense of needing assistance to move chairs before committing the assault and subsequent murder. Court documents revealed that the convict’s own mother alerted authorities after reportedly finding the victim’s mobile phone in his possession, leading to his arrest.
The defense argued that the defendant never voluntarily gave a statement to the police. However, Justice Sule dismissed this as an afterthought, affirming that the confession was lawfully obtained in the presence of the suspect’s parents.
The judgment has drawn praise from local anti-violence advocates, while the victim’s family expressed a somber sense of justice fulfilled after four years of legal proceedings.
