An Ekiti State High Court sitting in the Ado Ekiti Division on Monday sentenced three persons to 97 years’ imprisonment without an option of fine for kidnapping, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of offensive weapons.
The convicts are Augustine Agbogbo, sentenced to 40 years; Adeniyi Olamilekan, sentenced to 25 years; and Ademoh Gabriel, sentenced to 32 years.
The court, however, discharged and acquitted three other defendants — Ogungbemi Gbenga, Monday Rakiya, and Oseni Mutairu — for the prosecution’s failure to prove the charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of dangerous weapons against them.
The six defendants were arraigned before Justice Adeniyi Familoni on August 11, 2023, on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, kidnapping, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of offensive weapons, among others.
The charge stated that the defendants, on June 6, 2022, at Ayede, Ekiti, conspired to rob one Ajibade Adeleke of N15,000; on December 20, 2022, at Itapaji, Ekiti, robbed one Lt Cdr Victoria Eisape (retd) of N40,000 and also kidnapped her on the same date. It further stated that they kidnapped Ajibade Adeleke while armed with guns and cutlasses during the operations.
It also alleged that on April 6, 2023, at Iyemero Ekiti, three long-barreled guns, 33 live cartridges, and 56 expended cartridges were found in their possession without a licence.
The offences, according to the charge, contravened Sections 47, 279, 280, and 312(2)(a) of the Criminal Laws of Ekiti State, 2021.
In her testimony, one of the victims, Lt Cdr Eisape, a retired naval officer, narrated how she and Ajibade Adeleke were kidnapped along the Itapaji–Iyemero Road and held until a ransom of N70 million was demanded. She said she was released after N8 million was paid and reported the incident to the police afterwards.
The prosecutor, Albert Adeyemi, called seven witnesses and tendered statements of the defendants, a search warrant, three guns, 33 live cartridges, one military head warmer, and expended cartridges as exhibits.
The defendants, through their counsel, Chris Omokhafe and Olakanmi Falade, called no witnesses.
Delivering judgment, Justice Familoni held that the retraction of confessional statements by Agbogbo, Olamilekan, and Gabriel was an afterthought and rejected their defence.
The judge found the three guilty of conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping, and unlawful possession of dangerous weapons, while noting that the prosecution failed to prove the charges against the other three defendants beyond a reasonable doubt.
He sentenced Agbogbo, Olamilekan, and Gabriel to various jail terms on different counts, totalling 97 years’ imprisonment. He ruled that the sentences would run concurrently without an option of fine and would take effect from the date of their arrest and remand.
