A 26-year-old man, David Isaiah, has been sentenced to death by hanging by the Ekiti State High Court in Ado Ekiti for the murder of a commercial sex worker, Comfort James, whom he killed using a poisonous substance after kidnapping her.
Isaiah was arraigned alongside his accomplice, Saviour Daniel, who died while the trial was ongoing. The court found Isaiah guilty on three charges—conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder.
While delivering judgment, Justice Olalekan Olatawura sentenced Isaiah to 21 years in prison for conspiracy, life imprisonment for kidnapping, and the death penalty for murder.
The judge declared that the prosecution had successfully proven the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
According to court records, the incident occurred on February 6, 2024, in Ado Ekiti.
The defendant and his late accomplice reportedly lured the victim, tied her up, and called her colleagues to demand a ransom of ₦100,000.
When the ransom did not come through, and fearing the victim could identify them, they forced her to ingest herbicide, which led to her death.
During the trial, the Director of the Afrika Brothel in Irona, Ado Ekiti, where the victim worked, testified that her colleagues raised the alarm after she failed to return the following day.
The matter was reported to the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), leading to an investigation that resulted in Isaiah’s arrest.
The prosecution, led by Ibironke Odetola, called six witnesses and presented several pieces of evidence, including the defendant’s confessional statement, the victim’s photographs, a burial warrant, a pair of slippers, SIM cards, and the herbicide used in the murder.
Isaiah, who testified in his own defense without calling any witnesses, admitted to having intercourse with the victim before carrying out the crime with his late accomplice.
In his ruling, Justice Olatawura stated, “The defendant is found guilty as charged. Any plea for sympathy is unjustifiable. For the charge of conspiracy, the court sentences you to 21 years imprisonment; for kidnapping, life imprisonment; and for murder, you shall be hanged by the neck until you are dead. May God have mercy on your soul.”
