An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced four men to death by hanging for conspiracy, kidnapping and the murder of Chief Emmanuel Ajayi. The convicts—Jimoh Dele (57), Ige Adu (56), Ogunremi Bunmi (53), an ex-convict, and Ayeni Blessing (32)—were found guilty of abducting and killing the victim on May 5, 2022, near the Immigration Office in Ado Ekiti. The court also heard that four locally made guns and 13 live cartridges were recovered during the police investigation.

Delivering judgment, Justice Olalekan Olatawura described the convicts as serial kidnappers, armed robbers and housebreakers, stating that society would be safer without them. The court sentenced each of them to 21 years imprisonment for conspiracy, while Jimoh Dele received an additional 10-year jail term and a ₦20,000 fine for illegal possession of firearms. All four were ultimately sentenced to death by hanging for kidnapping and murder, with the judge ordering the sentences to run concurrently.