MICHAEL AKINOLA
The security architecture set up by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abiodun Alabi, is yielding result following the arrested of a 50-year old man, Emeka Njoku, suspected to be among members of the criminal gang that kidnapped Aletile Benjamin, a student of Ogun State Institute of Technology in Igbesa.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the Police Intelligence operatives from the Crack Team of the Lagos State Command led by SP Joel Ugowe, tracked and arrested Njoku with the Tecno phone belonging to the kidnapped victim, Benjamin, with IMEI number 35132221533720.
The victim was kidnapped at the Ikeja area of Lagos on 9th October, 2022, by a criminal gang and since then, he was said to be missing with no trace of him.
The alleged kidnap was reported to the Police team, who moved into action and arrested Benjamin with the victim’s phone, which he had with him on the day he was kidnapped.
During interrogation, he was said to have denied being among the gang that kidnapped Benjamin. The Police then asked him to disclose the identity of the person he claimed that gave him the victim’s phone but he refused to give the Police information.
The Police found him culpable and subsequently charged him before the Ogba Magistrates Court for conspiracy, kidnapping, aiding and concealment of criminal gang to escape Justice.
When he was arraigned, the Court did not take his plea following a motion moved by the prosecutor, Supol Akeem Raji, asking the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for advice because of the nature of the alleged offence.
Thus, the Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. B.O. Osunsanmi, ordered his remand in custody pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the DPP.
The defendant was remanded in custody at the Correctional Centre at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending the outcome of DPP’s advice, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.
The matter was adjourned till 18th January, 2023, for mention for the report of the DPP to be available.
The defendant, Benjamin, risks several years of imprisonment if the DPP’s report finds him culpable, recommends his trial and he is found guilty before the Court.