The gang members – Esther
Philip, Patricia Inna, Kingsley Okonwa, Osita Adigwe and Uzochukwu
Ezioha – would share the prison term equally and it would run concurrently from
the date of their arrest in 2012.
The accused, who were sentenced by
Justice Olabisi Akinlade, were said to have obtained a sum of N5m as ransom
from the victim’s father, a Nigerian.
They equally succeeded in relieving
the half-caste of his valuables, estimated at N600,000.
They had been taken before Akinlade
in 2013 and arraigned on charges bordering on conspiracy, robbery
and kidnapping.
The Lagos State Directorate of
Public Prosecutions, which filed six counts against the convicts, had alleged
that they violated Sections 279, 294 and 296(3) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos,
2011.
Though, the five had then pleaded
not guilty, they however, voluntarily elected to plead guilty upon the
amendment of the charge.
Delivering the judgment on Friday,
Akinlade said she was convinced that the convicts were now contrite.
Their counsel had, while urging the
court to temper justice with mercy, stated that the convict were all first
offenders, without previous records of conviction.
Akinlade held, “I have listened to
the first to fifth defendants’ counsel, who pleaded that the court should
temper justice with mercy based on the plea bargain entered pursuant to Section
75 and 76 of Criminal Laws of Lagos, 2011.
“The defendants are first time
offenders and have learnt their lessons.
“I hereby sentence the defendants to
nine years imprisonment for each of the four counts against them.
“Having been in prison from
arraignment, it has been agreed that their term, starting today, April 17, will
run concurrently.
“They shall also give evidence in
the trial of the sixth and seventh defendants.”
The 6th and 7th defendants,
Jude Sunday and Micheal Olanrewaju, are still facing criminal charges bordering
on neglect to prevent felony and being beneficiary of the sum of N5m ransom
obtained from the victim’s father.
According to the Lagos State
Attorney General, Mr. Ade Ipaye, who led the prosecution team, Sunday and
Olanrewaju acted contrary to Sections 408 and 326 of the Criminal Laws of
Lagos, 2011.
The victim, in his testimony before
the court, while narrating his ordeal in the hands the convicts, said they had
approached him, armed with battle axe and knives and dragged him to the back
seat of his Murano SUV on the fateful day.
According to Olaoye, after the
third to fifth defendants entered his vehicle, they took his mobile phone,
wrist watch, necklace and money and then tied him up.
He said the convicts
blindfolded him before taking him to an unknown destination, where they
threatened to kill him if he failed to cooperate with them.
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