An Ogun State High Court in Abeokuta has sentenced Mustakeem Balogun and Soliudeen Majekodunmi to death by hanging, while Lukmon Abdulgafar was handed life imprisonment for their roles in the brutal ritual killing of 16-year-old Sofia Okeowo.
Presiding Judge Justice Olugboyega Ogunfowora delivered the ruling on Friday, describing the crime as “gruesome and inhumane.”
The Ogun State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade, confirmed the sentences in a statement to journalists.
Tragic Case of Ritual Killing
The crime took place on January 28, 2022, in the Kugba area of Abeokuta. According to the case details, Sofia had gone to visit her boyfriend, Mustakeem Balogun, who had sexual intercourse with her before strangling her with assistance from Soliudeen Majekodunmi. The two then beheaded her.
After the murder, they cut parts of her thighs, stuffed her headless body into a sack, and transported the severed head to Lukmon Abdulgafar’s residence, where it was burnt in a local burner as part of a money ritual preparation.
A viral video recorded by community guards captured the suspects burning the head and chanting incantations beside the victim’s body. The footage led to their immediate arrest and public outrage.
Court Verdict and Government Reaction
In his judgment, Justice Ogunfowora declared all three men guilty of murder and conspiracy. While Balogun and Majekodunmi were sentenced to death by hanging, Abdulgafar, who provided the location and facilitated the ritual act, was sentenced to life imprisonment.
“The present administration in Ogun State does not allow crime to thrive,” said Commissioner Ogungbade. “This conviction sends a strong message to anyone engaging in ritual practices or heinous crimes.”
A Deterrent for Ritualists
The government emphasized that the swift justice served in this case is part of its zero-tolerance policy on ritual killings and violent crimes.
The judgment has been welcomed by civil society groups and community leaders who called for increased security and monitoring of ritual-related crimes in the region.
