Ekiti court sentences 2 to fifty years in prison for kidnapping

An Ekiti State high court in Ado Ekiti has sentenced two persons to 25 years imprisonment each for kidnapping.

The defendants, Ibrahim Abubakar, 44, Usman Abubakar, 49, Abdulahi Abubakar, 41, and Abdulazeez Alebiosu (59), who died during the pendency of the case, were arraigned before Justice Lekan Ogunmoye on 4/10/2022 on three counts charge bordering on conspiracy, murder, and kidnapping.

The charge reads that the defendants on 9/3/2022 at off Federal Polytechnic Road, Ado Ekiti, did conspire to murder one Taiwo Adesina, also on 22/4/2022 did conspire to kidnap Omoboade Adesina, contrary to Sections 244, 234, 279(1)a of the Criminal Laws of Ekiti State, 2021.

In her testimony before the court, the victim said, the deceased was my husband, I was a staff of NYSC in Ekiti State.

On the fateful day, I received a call that a gang of gunmen came to my husband’s farm, he tried to escape but was shot in the head and was rushed to Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

I was at home to mourn for some days. After the completion, I went to the farm alongside my son and brother-in-law to see the situation of things. I heard a knock on the gate. My brother-in-law went to open the gate but ran back to inform us that there were gunmen. We quickly locked the door, they jumped in through the fence, they gained access and dragged me out. I was taken on a motorcycle to an unknown destination.

They used my phone to negotiate for a ransom of N10m, but my relatives could only raise and pay N3.25m.

I could see some of the gunmen’s faces clearly when I was in their captivity and recognised them when they were paraded by the police, she concluded.

To prove his case, the prosecutor, Kunle-Shina Adeyemo, called seven witnesses and tendered the defendant’s statements and MTN call logs as exhibits.

The defendants spoke in their own defense through their counsel, Chris Omokhafe; they called no witnesses.

Delivering his judgment, Justice Ogunmoye said, the victim did not in any way mention the name of the 2nd defendant (Usman Abubakar), he is accordingly discharged and acquitted of all the charges.

The judge further said the prosecution had not proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendants conspired to kill Taiwo Adesina, they were therefore discharged and acquitted in counts 1 and 2 (Conspiracy and Murder).

In all, the sole issue for determination is resolved partly in favour of the prosecution.

Accordingly, the 1st and 3rd defendants (Ibrahim Abubakar and Abdulahi Abubakar) are hereby sentenced to 25 years imprisonment each, the judge pronounced.