Court jails undergraduate, other 14 years for kidnapping

Posted by admin Headlines Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014

A Delta State High Court in Asaba on Tuesday sentenced a student of the Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, and a businessman to 14 years for kidnapping.

The student, Ndudi Ogwu, and Chukwudi Ifemeni were sent to prison with hard labour for kidnapping a nurse.

Ogwu, an ND II mechanical engineering undergraduate and the businessman were sent to 10 years for kidnapping and four years for conspiracy.

The court held that the prosecution had proved its case against the two accused persons beyond reasonable doubt and thus convicted and sentenced them accordingly.

The prosecution had told the court that Ogwu and Ifemeni with two others now at large kidnapped one Mrs. Kate Okogu, wife of Mr. Paul Okogu, a politician.

The incident happened on September 13, 2012 at Ughelli.

The kidnappers were said to have taken the victim to a forest along Isoko-Patani Road where she was held captive. She was however rescued by a team of soldiers the next day.

The convicts had admitted in their confessional statements to have committed the offence upon their arrest but later denied the charges during trial.

Meanwhile, another High Court sitting at Asaba has discharged and acquitted one Aghogho Oghenekoko and David Akwele who were arraigned on charges of conspiracy and the kidnapping of a70-year-old mother of the member representing Ethiope constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr. Akpodiegaga Emeyese.

The woman, Madam Imoniunu Emyese, was kidnapped for 12 days, while her captors were said to have demanded N30m ransom for her release.

While discharging the two accused persons on the ground of insufficient evidence linking the duo to the crime, the court held that it cannot rely on their confessional statements alone without corroborations.

-Punch

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