In Ekiti State, four men have bagged life jail for kidnapping a 75-year-old woman.
The Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division, sentenced four men to life imprisonment for kidnapping 75-year-old Madam Florence Popoola in Ikere Ekiti.
The defendants, Adeoye Sunday, Adewusi Dare, Bamigboye Damilola and Ogunlayi Seun, also got five years imprisonment each for conspiracy.
The fifth defendant, Ojo Tope, was however lucky as the court discharged and acquitted of all charges levelled against him.
Madam Florence Popoola was kidnapped from her house on September 14, 2017, in Ikere-Ekiti, and was held captive in the forest between Eyio and Awo-Ekiti for four days until awas subsequently released.
The five convicts were arrested and charged to court for conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed robbery, kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnap.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Julius Ajibare, who prosecuted the case for Ekiti State, said: “The offences committed by the defendants were contrary to Section 6(b) &1(2) (a)of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap.R11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and Sections 3 & 4 of the Ekiti State Kidnap and Terrorism (Prohibition) Law, 2015.”
Ajibare called four witnesses and tendered eight exhibits to prove his case.
The defendants, who spoke through their counsel, Chris Omokhafe and Sunday Ochai, gave evidence in their defence and did not call any other witnesses.
In his judgment, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye held that the prosecution proved the offences of conspiracy to kidnap and kidnapping against the 1st – 4th defendants beyond reasonable doubt
Ogunmoye consequently convicted four out of the five defendants and sentenced them to life imprisonment each for the offence of kidnapping, and five years imprisonment for conspiracy to kidnap, but acquitted and discharged them for the offences of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and armed robbery.
