A Chief Magistrates Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State, capital has ordered the remand of five persons for allegedly involving in the kidnapping of four persons on the Owo-Ikare Akoko Expressway.
The victims were said to be travelling to Ikare Akoko in the Akoko North-East Local Government Area of the state.
The defendants included llyasu Lawal, 27; Mohammadu Siddi, 26; Garba Bature, 36; Abubakar Dengy, 20; and Mohammed Moshere, 25.
The defendants were alleged to have kidnapped the victims last month and also shot the driver of the vehicle that conveyed the victims. Also, they were said to have collected a sum of N3million before releasing the victims.
They were arraigned before the court for unlawful possession of weapons, armed robbery and kidnapping.
At the court proceeding, the prosecutor, Inspector Adeoye Adesegun, told the court that the defendants shot the head of one Adejoro Muda, the driver conveying the victims, adding that they stole one Samsung Galaxy Note 8 valued at N143,000 and one itel Android phone valued at N47,000, including a cash sum of N36,000.
According to the prosecution, the offences committed were contrary to and punishable under Section 6,(A&B)1,2,3(1) (b),3 of Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act Cap 147, Vol.4, Laws of Ondo State Nigeria, 2006.
In his ruling, the magistrate, Mayomi Olanipekun, ordered that the defendants should be remanded at the Olokuta Correctional Centre pending legal advice from the DPP and adjourned the case to November 29, 2022.
Meanwhile, one of the victims of the defendants, Mr. Bashiru Adekile, died some days after they were released by the defendants. It was gathered that the deceased died as a result of the torture he passed through in the hands of the defendants at their den.
According to a source, the deceased and other victims spent three days in the forest before the kidnappers released them after collecting N3million ransom. He was said to have passed away on Thursday.
The source said, “Since his (deceased) release, he hasn’t been fine, he was going from one hospital to another as a result of internal injury sustained in the forest in the hands of kidnappers.”
