Thursday, January 30, 2025 - A Bayelsa State High Court sitting in Yenagoa on Wednesday, January 29, sentenced four men to d€ath by hanging for conspiracy and kidnapping.
The convicts are Manager Etonzor, Daniel Derietiedei, Inimotimi
Rufus and Tari Firstman.
The presiding Judge, Justice Patience Diri, in the suit numbered
YHC/43c/2021, found the four persons guilty of the allegations of conspiracy
and kidnapping under Section 2 (1) of the Bayelsa State Law 2013.
According
to the police prosecution counsel, the four persons led by Etonzor had stormed
the working site of a Dredging Company located at the Ayama Ijaw in Southern
Ijaw Local Government area of Bayelsa State to abduct the owner of the company.
"While their attempt to abduct the owner of the dredging company
failed, they started shooting sporadically and scare away most of the workers.
But the 28 years old Secretary of the company, who was hiding in the office,
was forcefully taken at gun point," the prosecution said.
“She was forced to part with the N400,000 proceeds in the company’s safe
and took the girl away to a boat on the waterside. She was taken to the
kidnappers’ hide out and a ransom of N6.5million 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
diligent investigation and through due investigation arrested the leader of the
kidnapper’s gang, Etonza Manager, which led to the arrest of other member of
the gang.
“On arraignment in court, the convicted kidnappers accused the
investigation officers of ‘forceful obtainment 'of confession and claim
‘intimidation.'”
The court, after listening to arguments by both counsel, 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.
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