Court jails two for kidnapping in Ekiti

By Boye Oyeyemi

An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday sentenced two men to 25 years imprisonment each for kidnapping, while clearing another defendant of all charges brought against him.

The convicts, Ibrahim Abubakar, 44, and Abdulahi Abubakar, 41, were prosecuted alongside Usman Abubakar, 49, and Abdulazeez Alebiosu, 59, who died during the trial.

The defendants were arraigned before Justice Lekan Ogunmoye on October 4, 2022, over allegations bordering on conspiracy, murder and kidnapping.

According to the charge, the suspects were accused of conspiring to kill one Taiwo Adesina on March 9, 2022, along Federal Polytechnic Road in Ado-Ekiti, before abducting Omoboade Adesina weeks later.

During proceedings, the victim told the court that her husband was attacked and killed by armed men on their farm while trying to escape from the assailants.

She further narrated that she was later kidnapped from her residence, transported on a motorcycle and held captive while the abductors demanded a ransom of N10m, out of which N3.25m was eventually paid.

The prosecution counsel, Kunle Adeyemo, presented seven witnesses and tendered several exhibits, including statements of the defendants and MTN call records, to establish the case against the accused persons.

In his judgment, Justice Ogunmoye discharged Usman Abubakar and acquitted all the defendants of conspiracy and murder charges for lack of sufficient evidence, but found Ibrahim and Abdulahi Abubakar guilty of kidnapping and sentenced them to 25 years imprisonment each.