The High Court of Ekiti State, Ado Ekiti Division, has sentenced two recent university graduates to a combined 30 years in prison for kidnapping a student of the Federal University Oye Ekiti (FUOYE).
The convicts, 31-year-old Ojo Babajide and 35-year-old Olajide Nathaniel, were each sentenced to 10 years for kidnapping and five years for conspiracy. The sentences are to run concurrently.
The kidnapping occurred on March 23, 2022, and the pair were arraigned on July 19, 2022. According to the charges, they conspired to abduct Atana Emmanuel, in violation of Sections 279 and 280 of the Ekiti State Criminal Law, 2021.
In his testimony, the victim, who is both a student and salon operator, described how the men accosted him at his workplace around 7 p.m. He was forced into a vehicle and taken to an unidentified location in Oye Ekiti, and later to a hotel on Ikere Road in Ado Ekiti. There, he was compelled to pay for lodging via mobile transfer.
The abductors demanded a ransom of one million naira. The victim managed to raise only N101,000 by contacting family members. When the full amount wasn’t paid, the kidnappers stripped and beat him with a horsewhip, causing visible injuries before eventually releasing him.
Prosecutor Kunle-Shina Adeyemo presented witness testimony and submitted both the victim’s and defendants’ statements, along with a release bond, as evidence. Defense counsel Akinola Abon appealed for mercy, noting that the two men had just completed their studies and were preparing for National Youth Service.
Justice Adeniyi Familoni, while delivering judgment, condemned the continued rise in kidnapping despite efforts to curb it. He stated that the convicts made a deliberate choice to participate in criminal activity and must face appropriate punishment.
He ruled that both men would serve five years for conspiracy and 10 years for kidnapping, with no option of fine. The sentences will run concurrently starting from May 21, 2025.
