Court sentences kidnappers to death in Ekiti

An Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division, on Monday, sentenced two kidnappers, 41 years old Kola Makinde, and 30 years old Haruna Bika, to death by hanging for armed robbery.

The court also sentenced the two men, who were arraigned on six counts bordering on conspiracy, armed robbery, rape and kidnapping, to life imprisonment for kidnapping.

According to the charge, the two men, armed with cutlass and gun, on October 6, 2021, at Idi Mango Camp, Ilasa Ekiti, robbed Taiwo Oni and Mohammed Ayomide of their phones and as well Adejuwon Gbenga of N31,000.”

They were also said to have “on the same date and place, kidnapped one Adejuwon Daramola and also raped a 19 years old mother of five month-old-baby.”

The prosecutor, Olasanmi Oluwaseun, said their offences were contrary to Sections 516, and 401(2) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap. C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012 also Section 2 (2) of the Ekiti State Gender Based Violence (Prohibition) Law, 2019 and Section 3 (a) of the Kidnap and Terrorism (Prohibition) Laws of Ekiti State, 2015″.

In his statement to the police, one of the victims, who said he was woken up by a bang on his door and ordered with a gun pointed at his head to open the door, said, “When they entered, they beat my wife and I with a cutlass, they took away N31,000 I collected from a business centre in the afternoon.

“Thereafter, they took my daughter outside and with the intention to rape her, but she resisted following which they ordered her to sit with those already captured outside. They kidnapped Adejuwon and later demanded for N5 million ransom,” he said.

Another victim, a 19-year mother of five-month-old baby said that she had wanted to escape, following shouts of her neighbour, “but before I knew it, they entered our house, they asked of my neighbour, I told them I did not see him, they collected my baby from me, they removed my pant and had sex with me.”

“They were later arrested by the vigilantes in the community, they were recognised and identified by their face and cap forgotten at one of the crime scene.”

The prosecutor, Oluwaseun, called seven witnesses and tendered the defendants’ statements and cap as exhibits while the defendants, who spoke through their counsels, called one witness.

In the judgment, Justice Olalekan Olatawura found the two men guilty of conspiracy, kidnapping and armed robbery and convicted them accordingly.

The judge pronounced, “For Count one (conspiracy), the defendants are sentenced to seven years, counts two and three (armed robbery), the defendants are sentenced to death and be hanged by the neck until they will be dead, may God have mercy on your souls, count six (kidnapping), the defendants are sentenced to life imprisonment.

“The sentences are to run concurrently,” the judge ordered.

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