Three men jailed 97 years by Ekiti court for kidnapping and armed robbery

Ekiti Kidnapping Conviction 97 Years as court sentences three men to lengthy jail terms for kidnapping, armed robbery, and illegal weapons possession

An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has convicted three men for kidnapping, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of firearms, handing down a combined sentence of 97 years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine.

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Justice Adeniyi Familoni delivered the ruling against Augustine Agbogbo, Adeniyi Olamilekan, and Ademoh Gabriel, sentencing them to 40, 25, and 32 years respectively after finding them guilty on multiple charges bordering on conspiracy, kidnapping, and armed robbery.

97-Year Sentence in Ekiti Kidnapping case also saw three other defendants Ogungbemi Gbenga, Monday Rakiya, and Oseni Mutairu discharged and acquitted after the court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.

The six accused persons were first arraigned on 11 August 2023 on a six-count charge, which included conspiracy, kidnapping, armed robbery, and illegal possession of offensive weapons.

The offences were said to have been committed at different locations across Ekiti State.

According to court proceedings, the convicts allegedly robbed one Ajibade Adeleke of ₦15,000 in Ayede on 6 June 2022.

They were also accused of attacking and abducting retired naval officer Lt Cdr Victoria Eisape during a robbery incident at Itapaji on 20 December 2022.

Eisape testified that she and another victim were kidnapped along the Itapaji–Iyemero road and held hostage, with the abductors initially demanding a ransom of ₦70 million before she was eventually released after a ₦8 million payment.

The prosecution presented seven witnesses and submitted several exhibits, including confessional statements, a search warrant, firearms, ammunition, and other recovered items linked to the case.

Although the defence counsel declined to call witnesses, they challenged the admissibility of the confessional statements, which the court ultimately dismissed, describing the retraction as an afterthought.

Justice Familoni held that the prosecution had successfully proven its case against the three convicted men, leading to the lengthy sentences, which will run concurrently from the date of arrest and remand.

Also read: Ekiti Court sentences three to death for armed robbery

The judgment has been described as a significant ruling in the state’s ongoing efforts to tackle violent crime and kidnapping.

Mariam Balogun