An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced three men to a total of 97 years imprisonment without an option of fine for kidnapping a retired Naval officer, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of firearms .
Justice Adeniyi Familoni convicted Augustine Agbogbo (58), Adeniyi Olamilekan (39), and Ademoh Gabriel (39) on Monday . The court, however, discharged three other defendants—Ogungbemi Gbenga, Monday Rakiya, and Oseni Mutairu—for lack of sufficient evidence against them .
CDA News Nigeria reports that the convicts were among six persons arraigned before the court on August 11, 2023. According to the charge, they conspired on December 20, 2022, at Itapaji Ekiti, where they robbed retired Naval officer Lieutenant Commander Victoria Eisape of N40,000 and kidnapped her alongside a farmer, Ajibade Adeleke .
The victims were abducted at gunpoint near Ale Dam Bridge and held in the bush where the kidnappers demanded a ransom of N70 million . They were eventually released after relatives paid N8 million .
CDA News Nigeria gathered that the convicts were also accused of unlawful possession of three long-barrel guns, 33 live cartridges, and 56 expended cartridges .
The court imposed the following sentences:
10 years each for conspiracy to kidnap
15 years each for kidnapping (on two separate counts)
7 years for the third defendant for illegal firearm possession
All sentences are to run concurrently and take effect from the date of their arrest .
Justice Familoni described the convicts’ retraction of their confessional statements as “an afterthought” and held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt . He added that the stiff penalty was necessary to serve as a deterrent to others with similar inclinations .
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