A High Court in Niger State has sentenced a 16-year-old girl, Joy Afekafe, to life imprisonment for the murder of a university lecturer, Dr. (Mrs) Funmilayo Sherifat Adefolalu, of the Federal University of Technology, Minna.
Justice Mohammed Adishetu Mohammed of High Court No. 4, Minna, delivered the judgment after finding the defendant guilty of culpable homicide and armed robbery, in a case that has drawn public attention since the killing occurred on October 28, 2023.
Afekafe, who was 14 years old at the time of the crime, had been employed as a housemaid in the victim’s Gbaiko residence. She was introduced to the household through a local pastor, Ojo Peters, of the Voice of Mercy Church in Minna, which both her mother and the deceased attended.
Court documents revealed that the accused began stealing from the household, including foreign currency, which led to her dismissal by Dr. Adefolalu. In retaliation, she conspired with two male accomplices—identified as DJ Wallex and DJ Smart—who are currently at large.
According to her confession to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Afekafe detailed how the group launched a deadly attack, stabbing the lecturer several times before using a wooden stool to deliver a fatal blow to her head. The attackers then stole two phones, a laptop, and cash from the residence before fleeing.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Mohammed said the prosecution had successfully proved the charges beyond reasonable doubt. “The evidence before this court shows clearly that the accused and her partners intended to kill the deceased, and did so using multiple weapons,” he ruled.
The charges—culpable homicide and armed robbery—are punishable under Sections 221 and 298 of the Penal Code.
The judge acknowledged that while Afekafe is now 16, she was legally a minor at the time of the offence. Under Section 221 of the Penal Code, individuals under 18 cannot be sentenced to death. Instead, the law prescribes life imprisonment or another custodial sentence.
Justice Mohammed consequently sentenced her to life imprisonment for culpable homicide and an additional 10-year term for armed robbery.