Afrigather The Federal Excessive Courtroom in Abuja has convicted and sentenced two people – Kelvin Oniarah and Frank Azuekor – to twenty years in jail for his or her involvement in terrorism and kidnapping actions relationship again to 2013.
Their crimes included the kidnapping of famend senior lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, on the time…..CONTINUE READING HERE
4 suspects, Kelvin Oniarah Eziegbe, Frank Azuekor, Michael Omonigho (a conventional priest) and Momoh Haruna(first to fourth defendant) had been in 2014, charged on 13 counts by the prosecution.
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They had been stated to have additionally kidnapped Delta State Commissioner for Greater Schooling, Prof Hope Eghagha, Attanasius Ugbme and his good friend, Emmanuel Maka Omorogbe, and attacked 5 policemen and two jail warders, resulting in their dying.
The case dragged on from 2014 to 2023 as a consequence of a number of adjournments on account of the reassignment of the matter to a few judges – Justice Adeniyi Ademola, Justice Babatunde Quadri and eventually Justice Binta Nyako.
Ozekhome, throughout his testimony in court docket, recognized the primary and second defendant and instructed the court docket he performed chess with them of their den and was ultimately compelled to pay N40 million (in US {dollars}) earlier than he was launched.
Ozekhome instructed Justice Nyako that he noticed as an eyewitness when the suspects exchanged gunshots with safety brokers when the primary defendant tried to assault the jail to free the second defendant.
Nonetheless, the primary and second defendants testified that they had been pressured to make confessional statements by the Division of State Companies.
In her judgement on Friday, Justice Nyako discovered Kelvin and Frank responsible of terrorism and kidnapping, counting on the eyewitness testimony of Ozekhome.
For the third defendant who was a priest in a shrine, the choose discharged him saying the priest has not finished any mistaken in giving assist to guests and the prosecution failed to attach his function as a priest to the allegations.
About Momoh Haruna who continues to be at massive after escaping from jail custody, Nyako ordered that when he’s arrested, he should be dropped at court docket to face trial.
Subsequently, Nyako convicted the opposite suspects for terrorism and escaping from jail custody.
After their conviction, the 2 convicts pleaded for leniency citing well being grounds and household.
“I’ve thought of the plea made by the convicts, I’ve famous their remorsefulness. The convicts has been in custody for about ten years(in DSS), ” Binta stated including, the offense for which they had been discovered responsible carried life imprisonment however she would use her discretion.
“I’m going to condemn you to twenty years imprisonment every and it’ll run from the day you had been arrested. It will function a deterrent. That is my choice,” Binta held, directing the DSS to switch them to the Nigeria Jail Service…..CONTINUE READING HERE
