Four kidnappers have been sentenced to death by hanging in Lagos yesterday.
They are Victor Chukwunonso V, Ifeanyi Maduaka, Obinna Nwankwo and Richard Nwabueze.
Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo of the Lagos State High Court handed down the judgement to the men because of armed robbery and kidnapping of a woman Mrs. Gloria Emole, the younger sister to Emzor Pharmaceutical Managing Director, Chief Ebuka Okafor.
The men were found guilty of the offences, preferred against them by the State.
The first convict Chukwunoso was a former employee of the victim’s elder brother, sacked after violating the company’s rule.
According to the prosecution, the convicts were arraigned on July 13, 2013 and were remanded in prison custody.
The convicts had on November 19, 2012, at about 8:30 a.m, committed the offences.
The convicts were arraigned on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, armed robbery and kidnapping.
During their arraignment, Director of Public Prosecution, Dr. Babajide Martins informed the court that they had kidnapped the victim who was about to leave her house at 7, Unity Street, Ogudu G.R.A in Lagos.
During trial, the prosecutor informed the judge that the victim was kidnapped, blindfolded, thrown inside the booth and drove her to an unknown area in Ikorodu, area of Lagos State.
According to Martins, the offences committed are contrary to and punishable under Sections 297, 285 (2)a and 291 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.
He explained to the court that the victim was later released on November 22, 2012 after a ransom of $70,000 US dollars was paid by her husband.
The prosecution proved the the case beyond reasonable doubt, the judge held by calling four witnesses, who testified at trial.
The victim narrated to the court that she made a statement at the Police Station about how she was kidnapped.
According to her, on November 19, 2012, the first convict held a double barrel, accosted her at about 8:30a.m, blindfolded and locked her in her booth and took her to an unknown destination.
She told the judge that while in the kidnapper’s den, they also demanded $300,000.
The victim’s husband, Osodun Emole, while giving testifying against the kidnappers, also informed the court that he paid the ransom to the first and second convicts the sum of $70,000 US dollars.
Emole told the court that they had initially offered $300,000, but after negotiation, they accepted $70,000.
He said that he put the money inside an envelope and he was instructed on how he was to dress and the location to drop the money.
The victim’s husband had said that it was the police that informed him that the convicts had been arrested.
Inspector Gbenga Faguiro, attached to SARS, Ikeja, had tendered nine exhibits, as he narrated that the first convict was arrested at Alapere, Ketu and a Nokia cellphone was recovered from him as exhibit.
He narrated that the second convict was arrested after obtaining information from the first convict and other accomplices.
Faguiro said that the victim on 19 November 2012, at about 8:30a.m, was about to leave her house at 7, Unity Street, Ogudu GRA, Lagos, when she gave the key to her security guard to open the gate before six gun men accosted her and immediately took her hostage as she was about entering into the car.
The Police officer said that during the investigation, the first defendant informed him that the victim’s elder brother was his boss and there is a laid down rule that they must not fight in his office.
He added that the former staff was sacked over fighting and his boss gave each of them N250,000.
Faguiro stated that one of the kidnappers who engaged the Police in a gun duell during their arrest was shot dead.
He said that Chukwunoso confessed to him how they shared the $70,000. He said the first convict took $12,000 dollars, the second convict $11,000, the third convict collected $10,000 and the fourth convict received $9,000.
While giving evidence at his trial, Chukwunoso told the court that he was an apprentice of Okafor and had not finished his apprenticeship before he was sacked.
He said he got to knew the victim as he had worked with her elder brother.
The second convict, Maduka said he was not part of the team that rented the hotel at Ikorodu.
The third and fourth convicts also testified before the court at their trial.
In his judgement, Justice Lawal-Akapo held, “I found that the offence of armed robbery has been established against the accused I so hold.
“The first convict was arrested after the IMEI number of the victim’s Nokia phone number which got lost was inserted in another phone and it brought out all the information after he was arrested he made a confessional statement that led to the arrest of second convict.
“The provision of the law is that in the instant case, I have tested the statement and it passed all conditions. The confessional statement that the first defendant worked with the victim’s elder brother was collaborated by other witnesses.
“I rely on the confessional statement and the guilt of the accused person has been established.
“On the whole, the prosecution has been able to establish the offence of conspiracy, armed robbery, and kidnapping.”
Pleading on behalf of the convicts, their defence counsel, Mrs. Helen Ibeji, Mr. S.P Okeke, and Mrs. Scholastical Nwogu, urged the court to temper justice with mercy and that they were first-time offenders who had learned lessons in the hard way.
But the State prosecutor asked the court to sentence the convicts, as armed robbery was a capital offence.
Dr. Martins said,”The victim was lucky not to have died as the offence the convicts committed was premeditated.”
“I have listened to all the allocutus by all the counsel, these are able young men and they have unleashed terror on people and they must therefore face the music.
“The defendants are sentenced to 10 years for the 1st count of conspiracy. They are hereby sentenced to death by hanging for the 2nd count of armed robbery and sentenced to 21 years imprisonment for the third count of kidnapping.
