A 26-year-old man, David Isaiah, has been sentenced to death by hanging for the kidnapping and murder of a commercial sex worker, Comfort James, whom he killed using a deadly herbicide. The judgment was delivered on Monday by Justice Olalekan Olatawura of the Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division.
Isaiah was charged alongside his friend, Saviour Daniel, on three counts bordering on conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder. However, Daniel died during the pendency of the trial, leaving Isaiah to face the full weight of the law alone.
According to court records, the tragic incident took place in February 2024 in Ado Ekiti. The charge against the defendant stated that he and the late Daniel conspired to abduct and kill Comfort James, a commercial sex worker operating in the Irona area of the city.
Delivering his ruling, Justice Olatawura declared that the prosecution had presented compelling evidence and proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt. “The defendant is found guilty as charged,” the judge ruled. “Any sympathetic consideration in favour of the defendant cannot be justified in the face of the evidence presented.”
As a result, the court sentenced Isaiah to 21 years in prison for conspiracy, life imprisonment for kidnapping, and death by hanging for the charge of murder.
The lead prosecutor, Ibironke Odetola, had informed the court that the crimes violated sections 280, 279(a), and 234 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021. She further noted that the defendant was arraigned on April 18, 2024, and that the charges stemmed from a well-orchestrated plan to extort ransom money and silence the victim permanently.
According to the testimony of the Director of the Afrika Brothel in Irona, Ado Ekiti, where Comfort James worked, the alarm was raised when her colleagues noticed she had not returned since the previous day. “They told me that the missing lady had managed to call them to say she had been kidnapped, and her abductors were demanding N100,000 for her release,” the brothel manager testified. “I immediately reported the matter to the police and the Civil Defence Corps.”
Using call-tracking technology, law enforcement officers were able to locate and arrest the suspects. During interrogation, Isaiah led Civil Defence personnel to the location where the victim’s body was dumped. Forensic evidence confirmed that she had been poisoned with a herbicide.
During the trial, the prosecution called six witnesses, including law enforcement officers and acquaintances of the victim. Several exhibits were also tendered in court, including the defendant’s written confessions, SIM cards, a pair of slippers belonging to the deceased, a burial warrant, and the container of herbicide used in the killing.
Taking the stand in his own defense, Isaiah offered a chilling account of the events leading to Comfort James’ death. “After sleeping with her, we decided to use her phone to call her colleagues and claim she had been kidnapped. We demanded a ransom of N100,000,” he admitted. “She had her hands and neck tied. When it became clear that the ransom was not coming, and she had seen our faces, we poured herbicide into her mouth. She later died.”
The man called no witnesses in his defense and remained unremorseful during the trial.
In his judgment, Justice Olatawura lamented the senselessness of the crime and noted that the punishment must reflect the severity of the act. “This court cannot ignore the deliberate and calculated nature of the murder,” he stated. “The actions of the defendant were brutal, and his intent was clear. He conspired with another to abduct, extort, and ultimately murder an innocent woman.”
He concluded, “For conspiracy, the defendant is sentenced to 21 years imprisonment; for kidnapping, he is sentenced to life imprisonment. And for the charge of murder, the judgment of this court upon you is that you be hanged by the neck until you be dead. May God have mercy on your soul.”
The case has sparked outrage across Ekiti State, with human rights activists and residents calling for stronger measures to protect vulnerable women in the state.