Justice Delayed: Fatinoye Family’s Murderers Await Judgment in 2025

It has been exactly two years since the tragic and brutal murder of Kehinde and Bukola Fatinoye, a crime that continues to haunt their surviving family members and remains unresolved as justice lingers. On New Year’s Day 2023, the Fatinoye family, including their only surviving son, Oreoluwa, attended the 2022/2023 crossover service at Christ Anglican Church, Iporo-Ake, Abeokuta, Ogun State. Little did they know that their lives would be tragically cut short that night.

After the service, the family returned home, unaware that they were being followed. Around 1:30 am, their home, located behind the residence of former Governor Ibikunle Amosun in the Ibara GRA area of Abeokuta, became the site of a gruesome crime. The couple was violently robbed, murdered, and their home set ablaze. Oreoluwa and their adopted son, Felix, were tied up and thrown into a river along Adigbe-Obada road. Tragically, Oreoluwa drowned, while Felix survived.

The key suspect, Lekan Adekanbi, who had been Mrs. Fatinoye’s driver for nearly two years, was arrested after confessing to the crime. He revealed that the motive behind the murder was his frustration over not receiving a salary raise or the loan he had requested. Lekan, who had worked for the couple since 2018, claimed that his responsibilities went beyond driving and included household chores, for which he felt underpaid. Despite his requests for financial assistance, nothing was done, and he ultimately decided to take matters into his own hands by robbing and killing the family.

Lekan’s accomplices, Ahmed Odetola and Waheed Adeniyi, joined him in the crime. He lured them into the plot, stating that his only goal was to collect money from the family. His confession sent shockwaves through the community, particularly at the Federal University of Agriculture, where Bukola Fatinoye worked.

In February 2023, the suspects, including Lekan, Odetola, Adeniyi, and two other accomplices, were arraigned at the Magistrate Court in Abeokuta. They faced multiple charges, including conspiracy, murder, arson, and theft. The prosecution, led by Miss Oluwatosin Jackson, requested the court to remand the suspects for 60 days while awaiting legal advice from the office of the State Director of Public Prosecution.

The case was later transferred to the State High Court, where the trial has now concluded. As the court awaits its final judgment, the Fatinoye family’s loved ones continue to seek justice for the horrific crime. The suspects are set to learn their fate on February 3, 2025, leaving many to wonder if the long-awaited justice will finally be served.