Court of appeal upholds conviction of dethroned Baale for faking abduction

Tuesday, July 23, 2024 - The Court of Appeal in Lagos has upheld the conviction of Mutiu Ogundare, the dethroned Baale of Shangisha in Magodo, for orchestrating a fake abduction. 

 The ruling, delivered on September 27, 2022, by Justice Hakeem Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, initially sentenced Ogundare to 15 years in prison.

 Dissatisfied with the verdict, Ogundare appealed the decision. Justice Paul Bassi, leading a three-judge panel, upheld the lower court's judgment on counts one and two but overturned the conviction on count three. The panel reduced Ogundare's sentence to 12 years, with 10 years for the first count and 2 years for the second count. The sentence for the third count, related to false representation, was overturned.

 The ruling was supported by Justices Abdullahi Bayero and Folashade Ojo, who agreed with the lead judgment. Ogundare was initially remanded in Kirikiri Prison on July 16, 2017, following accusations of faking his kidnapping.

 Ogundare, his wife Abolanle, and his brother Opeyemi Mohammed were charged with conspiracy, breach of peace, and fake kidnapping by the Lagos State Government. On June 15, 2022, Justice Oshodi convicted Ogundare and Opeyemi Mohammed but acquitted Abolanle, finding no evidence linking her to the offences.

 During sentencing, Ogundare’s counsel, Olarewaju Ajanaku, pleaded for leniency, citing the convict's apparent remorse and his intention to reform. Dr. Olayinka Owoeye, the second defence counsel, echoed these sentiments. However, state prosecutor Jubril Kareem urged the court to impose a sentence that reflects the severity of the crime.

 Justice Oshodi noted that despite the pleas for mercy, the convicts showed no genuine remorse and attempted to evade justice. He emphasized the need for a deterrent sentence to prevent similar offences.

 Ogundare's fake kidnapping occurred on July 5, 2017, when he was allegedly abducted by three men along CMD Road in Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area. Ogundare had been lured to a meeting with supposed property developers, only for the situation to turn violent when his brother discovered one of the men was armed.

 Ogundare later confessed that the abduction was staged to blackmail the state government. Following the incident, former Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode ordered Ogundare’s removal as Baale of Shangisha.