KINGSLEY EBERE
Four kidnappers, Manager Etonzor, Daniel Derietiedei, Inimotimi Rufus, and Tari Firstman, have been sentenced to death by hanging for conspiracy and kidnapping in Bayelsa State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that it was the judgment of the High Court of Bayelsa State, located in Yenagoa, which found them guilty and sentenced them accordingly.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Patience Diri, ruled in case number YHC/43c/2021, and sentenced the convicts under the Criminal Laws Section 2 (1) of the Bayelsa State Law of 2013.
The Police prosecutor had told the Court that the group, led by Etonzor, invaded the worksite of a dredging company situated in Ayama Ijaw within the Southern Ijaw Local Government area of Bayelsa State with the intent to kidnap the company’s owner.
While their attempt to abduct the owner of the dredging company failed, they shot sporadically and scared away most of the workers. But the 28-year old secretary of the company, who was hiding in the office, was forcefully taken at gunpoint.
She was forced to part with the ₦400,000 proceeds in the company’s safe and they took the secretary away in a boat. She was taken to the kidnappers’ hideout out and a ransom of ₦6.5 million was paid for her release.
Upon her release after one month and three days, the operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping squad of the Bayelsa State Police Command commenced a diligent investigation and, through due investigation, arrested the leader of the Kidnapper’s gang, Etonza Manager, which led to the arrest of other members of the gang.
On arraignment in Court, the convicted kidnappers accused the investigation officers of ‘forceful obtainment of confession and claimed ‘intimidation’.
The Court, after listening to arguments by both counsels, admitted their various statements, witnesses’ statements, and confessions as evidence.
Justice Diri, in her ruling, found the four accused persons guilty of the two-count charge of conspiracy and kidnapping and sentenced them to death by hanging.