Friday, May 23, 2025 - An Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division, on Thursday sentenced two graduates to a total of 30 years imprisonment for kidnapping a student at Federal University Oye Ekiti.
The convicts, Ojo Babajide,31, and Olajide Nathaniel,35, who
were fresh graduates when they committed the offences in 2022, were sentenced
to 10 years each in prison for kidnapping and five years each for
conspiracy.
They were arraigned in court on 19th July 2022 for
conspiracy and kidnapping.
The charge read, “That the defendants (now convicts) on 23rd
March 2022 at Oye Ekiti did conspire to kidnap one Atana Emmanuel.
“The offences contravened sections 280 and 279 of the
Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021,” it added.
In his statement to the police, the victim, who said he was
a student of FUOYE and as well hair salon operator, said, “I was in shop around
7pm, the defendants moved towards me and ordered me into a waiting car. I
initially refused, but I was forced to do their bidding.
“I was first taken to an unknown destination in Oye Ekiti,
and I later found myself in a hotel along Ikere Road in Ado Ekiti. They made me
pay for lodging in the hotel room through mobile transfer
"They asked me to call my relatives to pay a ransom of
one million naira for my release. Through phone calls, I was able to raise
N101,000
“When they knew the money was not forthcoming, they ordered
me to remove all my clothes, and they flogged me with horsewhip. I sustained
serious bruises all over my body before I was later released,” he said.
The prosecutor, Kunle-Shina Adeyemo called one witness and
tendered the victim’s and defendants’ statements and bond to release as
exhibits while the defendants spoke through their lawyer, Akinola Abon, who
pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, as the defendants were
fresh graduates preparing to go for their National Youth Service Corps. They
called three witnesses.
In his judgement, Justice Adeniyi Familoni, who found the
defendants guilty, said, the incidents of kidnapping in our communities appear
unabated despite genuine and concerted efforts being made to curb the vice.
The defendants willingly but unwisely choose to join the
vice train; therefore, they cannot escape the consequences.
“In this vein, they deserve more than a slap on the wrist as
the penal sanction for their misdeed to serve as a deterrent to others.
"Consequently, they are both sentenced to five years
imprisonment for conspiracy and 10 years’ imprisonment each for kidnapping
without answering option of fine.
“The sentences are to run concurrently with effect from 21st
May, 2025,” the judge pronounced
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