Two years have passed since Kehinde and Bukola Fatinoye were tragically murdered, yet their family still awaits justice.
On the morning of January 1, 2023, Kehinde, a former employee of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and his wife, Bukola, attended a New Year’s Eve crossover service at Christ Anglican Church in Iporo-Ake, Abeokuta, Ogun State, along with their only surviving son, Oreoluwa.
After the service, the family returned home, excited for the new year, unaware they were being followed.
Around 1:30 am, the couple, who lived on Oba Karunwi Road behind the former residence of Governor Ibikunle Amosun in Ibara GRA, Abeokuta, were brutally robbed and murdered, and their home was set ablaze.
Reports suggest that the attackers—Lekan Adekanbi, Ahmed Odetola, and Waheed Adeniji—bound Oreoluwa and his adopted brother, Felix, before throwing them into a river along Adigbe-Obada road, where Oreoluwa sadly drowned.
Lekan, seen as the main suspect, had worked as Mrs. Fatinoye’s driver for almost two years and was well-known in the community around the Federal University of Agriculture, FUNAAB, where Bukola was employed.
“I killed my boss because he didn’t agree to raise my salary,” Lekan admitted during questioning, revealing that his motive stemmed from unmet requests for a pay increase and a loan.
He explained that, employed as a driver since 2018, he was assigned additional tasks such as cleaning and cooking. With a salary of N25,000 deemed insufficient for supporting his family, he decided to rob the couple after being denied a raise and loan.
Court Developments
In February 2023, the suspects—Adekanbi Lekan, Odetola Ahmed, Adeniyi Waheed, along with accomplices Fadairo Temitope and Adekanbi Adenike—were charged in a Magistrate Court in Abeokuta on 11 counts, including conspiracy, murder, arson, and theft.
The police prosecutor, Miss Oluwatosin Jackson, requested the court to remand the defendants for 60 days at Oba Correctional Centre while pending legal advice from the State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP). The request was granted by Magistrate Esther Idowu.
After spending time in custody, Lekan’s elderly mother, his wife, and two individuals involved in purchasing the murdered couple’s vehicle were brought back to court. The case was later transferred to the State High Court in Abeokuta, where the trial has concluded.
Sources from the Correctional Centre and the court indicate that the suspects are currently awaiting a verdict, which is expected to be delivered on February 3, 2025.
