My Acquitance of Murder Shows I Was wrongly Accused – Jafariya

By Solomon Odeniyi

Alhaji Yusuf Iyanda popularly known as Jafaria has said his acquittance of involvement in the murder of Timilehin Sonibare, a student of Osun State University for money ritual reaffirmed that he was wrongly accused.

Jafariya, an Islamic cleric was on February 4 discharged and acquitted of any involvement in the murder of Timilehin by an Osun High Court sitting in Osogbo, after being tried with four others.

The oldest among those tried, AbdulKareem Adeoti was sentenced to two years imprisonment. AbdulRafiu Zakariyah, Yusuf Kareem and Ayuba Ibrahim were sentenced to death.

Timilehin, a 400 Level student of Microbiology at UNIOSUN was killed on the 26th of June 2017 at Oke Baale area in Osogbo by the convicts while his head and arms were cut off and roasted for money rituals.

Narrating his ordeal, Jafariya said the charge ought not to have concerned him, as he knew nothing about it and no evidence connected him to the crime.

He said: “I was in a 21 days seclusion when the deceased, Timilehin Sonibare was killed. He wasn’t killed in my house neither was his corpse found in my premises. He was killed in the cuplrits house and the dead body was found in a bush behind the culprits’ house.

“Nothing incriminating was found in my compound. The clothes, underwears, uniforms among others, found in my house were that of my wives, children and students of my Arabic school numbering about 32 living with me.

“The confessed culprits and the one at large are not my biological children. They are my students. I never taught them method leading to murder. Since my practice in Osogbo in 1989, many students have passed through my tutelage and have been doing well in all facet of life, not one has been accused of being a ritualist.

“On the 11th of July, 2017, we were arraigned and the Magistrate court ordered that we should be remanded at Ilesa prison. I spent two months before I was granted bail by a vacation judge and my bail was perfected 30th of August 2017. My bail was recalled by Justice Kudirat Akano on November 28 2017 and I remained in the prison custody till the day of judgement when I was discharged and acquitted”, he narrated.

Jafariya described the situation as the work of the enemies of God’s progress who wanted him down at all cost and framed him up for reasons best known to them.

He wondered why he was being wished bad by anyone, saying that his mosque, which was being touted as the biggest in the area was built through direct labour for 18 years and the two cars he owed were gifts from his brother and client.

He debunked claims in some quarters that entry into the mosque and his flat was restricted to none worshippers, noting that as the chairman of the community, meetings were being held every 15 days in the mosque and sometimes settles dispute in his room.

He maintained that if what he was charged for was true, he would not have enjoyed the moral and financial supports he received while in detention and nobody would have prayed for his return.

Jafaria said he would not seek redress or claim damages for the huge damage done on his properties during the heat of the crisis, rather he would seek the face of God for compensation.