MICHAEL AKINOLA
Four armed robbers, Adeoye Sunday, Adewusi Dare, Bamigboye Damilola, and Ogunlayi Seun, will be spending the rest of their lives in prison custody for kidnapping an elderly woman and collecting N1.5m ransom after four days in captivity in Ekiti State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that it was the judgment of the High Court of Ekiti State, presided over by Hon. Justice A.L. Ogunmoye, who convicted and sentenced them accordingly.
The four convicts were found guilty while the fifth defendant, Ojo Tope, was however, acquitted and discharged of all the offences charged against him by the Police.
The convicts committed the offence on 14th September, 2017, at Ikere-Ekiti, where one Madam Florence Popoola, 75, was kidnapped from her house and was kept in the forest between Eyio and Awo-Ekiti for four days until she was eventually released after the payment of N1.5 million ransom.
The four convicts were arrested and charged for conspiracy, armed robbery, which were contrary to the provisions of Section 6(b) & 1(2)(a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap. R11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, kidnapping, and conspiracy to kidnap contrary to Sections 3 & 4 of the Ekiti State Kidnap and Terrorism (Prohibition) Law, 2015.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Julius Ajibare, Esq., who prosecuted the case for Ekiti State, called four witnesses and tendered eight exhibits to prove his case.
The convicts, who spoke through their counsel, Chris Omokhafe Esq., and Sunday Ochai, Esq., gave evidence in their defence but did not call any other witnesses.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Ogunmoye, after thoroughly evaluating the evidence before the Court, delivered judgment and convicted them for the offence.
The Court held that the prosecution proved the offences of conspiracy to kidnap and kidnapping against the first to fourth defendants beyond reasonable doubt.
The Judge consequently convicted four out of the five defendants and sentenced them to life imprisonment while he discharged and acquitted the fifth defendant.