An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced one Gabriel Emmanuel to life imprisonment for kidnapping Oba Adeniran Omotayo, the Eleda of Eda Ile Ekiti.
The 25-year-old convict was arraigned before Justice Adekunle Adeleye on 8th March, 2023 on three count charge bordering on murder, kidnapping and demanding property with menace with intent to steal.
The charge reads, “That Gabriel Emmannuel and others at large on 13th September, 2020 at Umesi Quarters,Igirigiri Road Odo-Ado Ekiti did murder one Jejelowo Fesobi David, also on 24th June, 2020 at Eda-Ile Ekiti within the Jurisdiction of this honourable court did kidnap HRM Oba Adeniran Benjamin Omotayo the Eleda of Eda Ile, the monarch of Eda Ile Ekiti.
“On 20th November, 2021, the defendant and others at large at Ilumoba Ekiti within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did demand the sum of #4m with menace, with intent to steal from one Barr. Joseph Olorunfemi”.
According to the charges, the offences are contrary to sections 319 (1), 316 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap.C16, laws of Ekiti State, 2012 and section 3 of Ekiti state kidnap and terrorism (prohibition) law,2015.
In his statement to the police, Oba Adeniran said, “I went to Abaojo, one of my settlements in Eda Ile Ekiti, suddenly, I saw some men, all of them carried AK-47 riffles, before I knew what was happening, one of them pointed at me and I was kidnapped, my wife who was with me in the farm was released and instructed her to go and look for money or else they would kill me.
“I was with them for four days before one of my brothers brought a sum of #1.28M ransom to them and I was later released.While I was with them, they used my wife’s phone to contact my relatives, at a point the battery got flat, they called somebody from the town who brought a charged battery to them, I was unable to see his face because he was masked.I was able to see and recognized the kidnappers faces because they unmasked whenever they want to smoke.
“When I was finally released, I went to office of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Nigerian Police Force in Ado Ekiti to made formal report”.
To proof his case, the prosecutor, Ibironke Odetola called four witnesses and tendered the defendant’s and victim’s statements, print out of the call logs among others as erxhibits, while the defendant spoke through his counsel, A.G Anofi and called no witness.
In his judgment, Justice Adekunle Adeleye said, “The phone call logs is corroborated by the evidences of complainants witnesses while the content of the defendant’s confessiobnal statements are consistent with the facts established in the evidence of the prosecution witnesses. The statements were made by the defendant voluntarily.
“In all, I find that the complainant has established the ingredients of the offence of kidnapping and demanding property with menance with intent to steal.He is found guilty as charged and accordingly convicted.
“On the offence of kidnapping, the defendant is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment and as well sentenced to three years imprisonment for demanding property with menace, with intent to steal”.
