Man bags life jail over Man bags life jail over kidnapping

By Sunmola Olowookere
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An Akure High Court has sentenced a 36 year-old man, Michael Akinola to life imprisonment for kidnapping one Mrs. Adeyeye Ehizogie on December 5, 2015 in Owo Local Government area of Ondo State.

Akinola was sentenced to life imprisonment over three counts charge of conspiracy, aiding and abetting kidnapping.

Justice Williams Rotimi Olamide held that the mere fact that the victim identified the accused as the person feeding her in the forest while in the custody of the kidnapping gang have the ‘weight to determine judicial decisions.’

During the trial, the victim had testified, “On or about December 5, 2015, l was coming from vigil in company of my son and a co-worshipper, Mrs Orisakiya Eflyn, when three gunmen intercepted my Honda Pilot Jeep within the premises of Crown Hospital, lselu, Owo.

” l was kidnapped by the gunmen to an unknown destination. And while in the kidnappers’ den, my abductors asked me to make several calls to request ransom from my family members.” I was kept hostage at the unknown destination by the kidnappers, and ransom was paid before I was released.”

She told the court that she spent seven days with the kidnappers before the  ransom of N2million was paid to them.

The Judge noted that at the conclusion of trial, the court overruled the objection by defence counsel who urged  the court to dismiss the case.

Justice Olamide pointed out that three ways to prove a case, are by direct eye witness evidence, by circumstantial evidence and by confessional statement.

On that instance, he ruled that the prosecution which was led by John Dada Joshua was able to establish his case against the accused person with a direct eye witness account.

According  to the judge, the accused was arrested through phone tracking by the police, thereby linking him to the kidnapping while efforts by police to arrest other members of the gang proved abortive.

Justice Olamide, convicted the accused of the offence of conspiracy, aiding and abetting kidnapping under the Anti-kidnapping Law of Ondo State, 2010 and sentenced him to life imprisonment.