An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced two men to 25 years imprisonment each for kidnapping.
The convicts, Ibrahim Abubakar, 44, and Abdulahi Abubakar, 41, were found guilty of abducting a woman and collecting millions of naira as ransom from her family.
The defendants were arraigned alongside Usman Abubakar, 49, and Abdulazeez Alebiosu, 59, who reportedly died during the trial.
The four men had been dragged before Justice Lekan Ogunmoye on October 4, 2022, on charges bordering on conspiracy, murder and kidnapping.
According to the prosecution, the defendants conspired to kill one Taiwo Adesina on March 9, 2022, along the Federal Polytechnic Road in Ado Ekiti and later abducted Omoboade Adesina on April 22, 2022.
Testifying before the court, the victim narrated how her husband was allegedly attacked and shot by armed men at his farm.
She said her husband was rushed to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, where he was confirmed dead.
The woman, who identified herself as a staff member of the National Youth Service Corps in Ekiti State, told the court that she later returned to the farm with her son and brother-in-law after the burial rites.
According to her, armed men invaded the residence shortly after they arrived.
“My brother-in-law went to open the gate after hearing a knock but quickly ran back to inform us that gunmen were outside.
We locked ourselves indoors, but they jumped over the fence, forced their way in and dragged me away,” she recounted.
She added that the kidnappers took her to an unknown destination on a motorcycle and later demanded N10m ransom from her relatives.
The victim said her family eventually paid N3.25m before she regained freedom.
She further told the court that she was able to identify some of the kidnappers during a police parade because she clearly saw their faces while in captivity.
To establish its case, the prosecution counsel, Kunle-Shina Adeyemo, called seven witnesses and tendered several exhibits, including statements of the defendants and MTN call records.
The defendants, represented by their counsel, Chris Omokhafe, did not call any witness in their defence.
Delivering judgment, Justice Ogunmoye discharged and acquitted the second defendant, Usman Abubakar, stating that the victim did not specifically link him to the crime.
The judge also ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the allegations of conspiracy and murder against the defendants beyond reasonable doubt.
However, the court held that the prosecution successfully proved the charge of kidnapping against Ibrahim Abubakar and Abdulahi Abubakar.
Justice Ogunmoye subsequently sentenced the two convicts to 25 years imprisonment each.