Two convicted kidnappers have been handed a cumulative 30-year jail term each by an Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti, while another, Lawal Ahmadu, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Kogi High Court for a separate abduction case.
In Ekiti, Justice Adeniyi Familoni convicted Ojo Babajide (31) and Olajide Nathaniel (35) on charges of conspiracy and kidnapping, in violation of Sections 280 and 279 of the state’s Criminal Law (2021).
The judge decried the persistent menace of kidnapping and stressed the need for deterrent sentences.
“The incidents of kidnapping in our communities appear unabated despite genuine and concerted efforts being made to curb the vice.
The defendants willingly but unwisely chose to join this vice train. Therefore, they cannot escape the consequences,” Justice Familoni ruled.
He sentenced both men to five years for conspiracy and 10 years for kidnapping, with the terms to run concurrently from May 21, 2025, and without the option of a fine.
The convicts had on March 23, 2022, abducted one Atana Emmanuel, a Federal University of Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) student who also ran a salon.
The victim, recounting his ordeal, said he was forcibly taken from his shop in Oye Ekiti, driven to a hotel in Ado Ekiti, and made to pay for the accommodation used by his captors.
He was then forced to call family members for a ransom and flogged with a horsewhip when he failed to meet the N1 million demand.
He eventually raised N101,000 before being released.
The prosecutor, Kunle-shina Adeyemo, presented the victim’s and defendants’ statements as well as a bond for his release in evidence.
Defence counsel, Akinola Abon, pleaded for leniency, saying the convicts were fresh graduates preparing for NYSC.
Meanwhile, in a separate case, Justice Ajayi of the Kogi State High Court in Lokoja found 20-year-old Lawal Ahmadu guilty of kidnapping five victims and extorting a ransom of N1.25 million.
Although none of the victims died in captivity, the judge imposed a life sentence without the option of a fine, citing the gravity of the crime.
Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com
We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Kindly donate any amount HERE
