An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced two men, Ojo Babajide (31) and Olajide Nathaniel (35), to 15 years imprisonment each after finding them guilty of conspiracy and kidnapping.
The prosecution, led by Kunle-Shina Adeyemo, stated that the incident occurred on March 23, 2022, in Oye Ekiti, where the convicts conspired to abduct one Atana Emmanuel.
Adeyemo informed the court that their actions were in violation of Sections 280 and 279 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
During the trial, the prosecutor presented the victim’s and the defendants’ statements as exhibits and called one witness to support the case. In response, the defence counsel, Akinola Abon, pleaded for leniency on behalf of his clients, describing them as “fresh graduates that are preparing to go for their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).”
While delivering his judgment, Justice Adeniyi Familoni decried the persistent cases of kidnapping in the region.
“The incidents of kidnapping in our communities appear unabated despite genuine and concerted efforts being made to curb the vice,” he observed.
The judge condemned the choices made by the convicts, stating, “The defendants willingly but unwisely choose to join this vice train. Therefore, they cannot escape the consequences.”
He emphasized the need for a firm response to such crimes, saying, “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.”
Justice Familoni sentenced each of the convicts to five years imprisonment for conspiracy and 10 years imprisonment for kidnapping, to run concurrently without the option of a fine.
The judgment takes effect from May 21, 2025.
