An Ekiti State high court in Ado Ekiti has sentenced two individuals to 25 years imprisonment each for their involvement in a kidnapping case. The ruling was delivered on Wednesday by Justice Lekan Ogunmoye.
Details of the Case
The defendants, Ibrahim Abubakar (44), Usman Abubakar (49), Abdulahi Abubakar (41), and Abdulazeez Alebiosu (59), were initially arraigned on October 4, 2022, on three charges: conspiracy, murder, and kidnapping. However, Abdulazeez Alebiosu passed away during the legal proceedings.
The charges stated that on March 9, 2022, near the Federal Polytechnic Road in Ado Ekiti, the defendants conspired to murder Taiwo Adesina. Additionally, on April 22, 2022, they allegedly conspired to kidnap Omoboade Adesina, violating Sections 244, 234, and 279(1)a of the Criminal Laws of Ekiti State, 2021.
Victim's Testimony
During the trial, the victim, Omoboade Adesina, testified that the deceased was her husband. She recounted that she received a call informing her that gunmen had attacked her husband on his farm. He attempted to flee but was shot in the head and later died at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital.
After mourning, she visited the farm with her son and brother-in-law. She heard a knock at the gate, and upon opening it, they discovered armed men. The family locked themselves inside, but the gunmen jumped over the fence, dragged her out, and took her on a motorcycle to an unknown location.
Her captors used her phone to demand a ransom of 10 million naira, but her relatives managed to raise and pay 3.25 million naira. She was eventually released and later identified some of the gunmen when they were paraded by the police.
Prosecution and Defense
The prosecutor, Kunle-Shina Adeyemo, presented seven witnesses and submitted the defendants' statements and MTN call logs as evidence. The defendants, represented by counsel Chris Omokhafe, chose not to call any witnesses.
Judgment
In his judgment, Justice Ogunmoye noted that the victim did not mention the second defendant, Usman Abubakar, in her testimony. Consequently, Usman Abubakar was discharged and acquitted of all charges.
The judge also ruled that the prosecution failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendants conspired to kill Taiwo Adesina. Therefore, they were discharged and acquitted on counts one and two (conspiracy and murder).
However, the court found the first and third defendants, Ibrahim Abubakar and Abdulahi Abubakar, guilty of kidnapping. They were each sentenced to 25 years imprisonment.
