By An Ekiti State High Court in Ado-Ekiti has sentenced two ex-convicts, Onileowo Rotimi and Adetola Ayodele, both 42, to death by hanging for conspiracy, armed robbery, and kidnapping.
Presiding over the case, Justice Bamidele Omotosho delivered the judgment on Monday, declaring the duo guilty on all three charges filed against them by the state.
The convicts were arraigned on June 30, 2017, for the offences committed on October 7, 2016, at Abuta Omuo Ekiti. They were charged under Sections 516, 402, and 403(A) of the Ekiti State Criminal Code Law, 2012, and Section 3 of the state’s Kidnapping and Terrorism (Prohibition) Law, 2015.
Testifying in court, the victim, Mrs. Ajibola Oyelola, recounted the harrowing night she was abducted.
“I was cooking in the kitchen around 8:30 p.m. when five gunmen entered. They were looking for my husband, saying he had offended their boss. They took my car key, N78,000, tied me up, and blindfolded me,” she told the court.
Mrs. Oyelola said she was held captive in the bush for eight days and the kidnappers demanded a ransom of ₦40 million. Her husband eventually raised ₦600,000 through friends and family, after which she was released.
The victim identified the assailants, noting that they never wore masks during her captivity.
The prosecutor, Akinola Abon, called four witnesses and tendered the convicts’ statements. The defence, in contrast, called no witnesses, with both defendants admitting they became friends in prison before committing the crime.
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho stated, “I am not in the slightest doubt that the prosecution has fruitfully proved the case of conspiracy, kidnapping and armed robbery against the defendants.”
He sentenced both men to life imprisonment for kidnapping and death by hanging for armed robbery.
“May God have mercy on your souls,” the judge concluded.
