BY LEVI JOHNSON
To serve as a deterrent to kidnappers, a high court sitting in Akure has sentenced on Wednesday five men to life imprisonment for kidnapping.
A group of five-man was found guilty by the High Court for kidnapping a nurse Mrs Unikiere Eraikhumen Adodo who works with Araromi Obu rubber plantation, in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The gang of kidnappers were sentenced to life imprisonment by the trial Judge, Justice O.A Odusola on a two counts charge of conspiracy and kidnapping in March 2016.
Omoniyi Akinsoyinu, Abiodun Olabowale, Olatuyi Igbekele, Tosin Adenikinju, and Daso Oluwasiji were the convicted kidnappers who are to spend the rest of their lives in jail.
Though they pleaded not guilty to the charges, but Justice Odusola in his judgement said that the prosecution had proved the case of conspiracy and kidnapping against the accused persons beyond every reasonable doubt.
READ ALSO: Transmission Company of Nigeria Can’t Cope Beyond 4,303MW Says, DisCos
He, therefore, sentenced them to seven years imprisonment on the first count; and life imprisonment on the second count.
The state prosecutor Abimbola Oladunmiye said that the convicts, along with other members of their gang still at large, kidnapped the nursing matron in October 2015.
Six witnesses were called by the prosecutor including Mrs Adodo, the kidnapped victim and three exhibits were tendered and it includes the woman’s picture when she was still in the kidnappers’ den.
Mrs Unikiere Eraikhumen Adodo, while testifying before the court narrated how she was whisked away at gunpoint, on her way to church around 8.30 am at Araromi Obu.
Mrs Adodo said: ” I was ordered not to look at their faces. They said they only wanted to use me to collect money from my employers.
”I spent two weeks with them before I was released.’’ The security guard of the company, one Adesaniyi Oluwole, in his own testimony said that on October 18, 2015, he was called that the nursing matron of the company had been abducted.
Oluwole testified that he called his colleagues and the police station in the environs and that the police later recovered the victim’s pathfinder Jeep.
He stated that the abductors had called the company to link up with them on an email to negotiate the ransom that would be paid on the victim.
Another witness, a policeman Olokuta Adesina who is attached to Anti Kidnapping Section of the police, said that following the report of the case, investigation had commenced which led to the arrest of one of the accused persons who gave a confessional statement that led to the arrest of others.
The judge in her verdict sentenced the accused persons to seven years imprisonment on the first count; and life imprisonment on the second count.
