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A teenage housemaid, Joy Afekafe, has been sentenced to death by a High Court in Minna for the brutal killing of Dr. Funmilayo Sherifat Adefolalu, a respected lecturer at the Federal University of Technology (FUT) Minna.
The judgment was delivered on Wednesday, ninth July, two thousand and twenty-five, by Justice Mohammed Adishetu Mohammed of Minna High Court No. 4. The court found Joy guilty of two serious charges — armed robbery and culpable homicide — crimes which are punishable under Sections 221 and 298 of the Penal Code.
The sad incident happened on the twenty-eighth of October, two thousand and twenty-three, inside Dr. Adefolalu’s home in the Gbaiko area of Minna, Niger State. Joy Afekafe, who was only a teenager, had been working as a housemaid in the lecturer’s house for less than one month. She was introduced to Dr. Adefolalu’s family through Pastor Ojo Peters of the Voice of Mercy Church, a church attended by both the late lecturer and Joy’s mother.
However, during her short stay in the house, Joy started stealing the lecturer’s property, including foreign currency. When Dr. Adefolalu found out, she immediately sacked Joy and told her to leave her house.
But instead of moving on, Joy decided to get revenge. She contacted two other young men, known as DJ Wallex and DJ Smart, who are still on the run. The court heard how, together, they went to Dr. Adefolalu’s house at night and attacked her in cold blood.
In her statement to the Homicide Squad of the Niger State Police Command, Joy confessed that they stabbed the lecturer many times with knives. Dr. Adefolalu tried to defend herself with a wooden stool but the attackers overpowered her, took the stool from her, and used it to hit her on the head until she died on the spot.
After killing her, they stole two mobile phones, a laptop, and more foreign currency from her bedroom before running away.
In a judgment that lasted more than two hours, Justice Mohammed said the prosecution had proven their case beyond reasonable doubt. He declared:
> *“Dr. Mrs. Funmilayo Sherifat Adefolalu is dead. The convict and her accomplices intentionally caused her death through this violent and wicked attack.”*
Joy Afekafe’s sentencing has shocked many people in Minna, especially staff and students of FUT Minna, where Dr. Adefolalu worked and was loved by her colleagues. Many people are also calling on the Police to intensify the search for the two other suspects who are still at large.
Residents who spoke to **PRUDENTJ2.COM** described the murder as a painful reminder of how greed and betrayal can end in tragedy. A neighbour who knew Dr. Adefolalu said she was a kind and hardworking woman who always helped people, including giving jobs to those who needed them.
Meanwhile, the Niger State Police Command has promised that they will not rest until DJ Wallex and DJ Smart are caught and made to face the full weight of the law.
This case serves as a strong warning to others about the serious consequences of violent crime and betrayal of trust. It is also a reminder for families to be very careful when hiring housemaids and to always carry out proper checks.
As the late Dr. Funmilayo Sherifat Adefolalu is laid to rest, many who knew her continue to pray for her family to find comfort and for true justice to be served
