Ogun ritual killing sentence: Two to hang, one jailed for life over the murder of 16-year-old Sofia Okeowo in Abeokuta, Ogun State, in January 2022
Justice Olugboyega Ogunfowora of the Ogun State High Court in Abeokuta has sentenced two men to death by hanging and a third to life imprisonment over the brutal ritual killing of 16-year-old Sofia Okeowo.
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The convicts—Mustakeem Balogun, Soliudeen Majekodunmi, and Lukmon Abdulgafar—were found guilty of the murder which occurred on 28 January 2022 in the Kugba area of Abeokuta.
According to a statement released on Friday by the Ogun State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade, the court handed down the sentences following a conclusive trial.
The disturbing case involved Mustakeem Balogun luring Sofia, who was his girlfriend, to his home where he had sexual intercourse with her before strangling and beheading her with the help of Soliudeen Majekodunmi.
The pair then removed parts of her thighs and stuffed her headless body in a sack. Sofia’s severed head was taken to Lukmon Abdulgafar’s house, where the group attempted to burn it using a local burner.
A viral video from January 2022 captured the horrifying scene where the men were caught by community guards while attempting to destroy evidence of the crime.
“The dastardly act occurred on January 28, 2022, when Mustakeem Balogun lured 16-year-old Sofia to have carnal knowledge of her and later killed her in preparation for ritual charms,” Ogungbade said.
“The two other culprits—Soliudeen Majekodunmi and Lukmon Abdulgafar—participated in the gruesome aftermath.”
Justice Ogunfowora found Balogun and Majekodunmi guilty and sentenced them to death by hanging. Abdulgafar received life imprisonment for his role in the murder.
Ogungbade reiterated the Ogun State Government’s commitment to justice, stating the ruling underscores its zero-tolerance stance on ritual killings and criminality.
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“This conviction serves as a deterrent to others who may be contemplating such heinous acts,” the statement concluded.
