A Federal High Court (FHC) in Abuja, on Friday, convicted and sentenced two of the four defendants alleged to have kidnapped Prof. Mike Ozekhome to a 20-year-jail term each.
Justice Binta Nyako held that the prosecution had been able to establish the counts preferred against Kelvin Ezeigbe and Frank Azuekor, who were first and second defendants, beyond reasonable doubt.
Justice Nyako held that the sentence would run from the day of their arrest.
The judge, however, discharged and acquitted Michael Omonigho and Momoh Haruna, who were third and fourth defendants, of the counts leveled against them in the terrorism charge.
She held that though some of the counts against Ezeigbe and Azuekor attracted punishment ranging from death sentence, life imprisonment to at least 10 years jail term, she said she had found that the accused had been remorseful of their criminal act.
She said she also found that they had been in custody for about 10 years from the day of their arrest.
While Omonigho, who was said to be the chief priest, was in court, while Haruna was not.
When Nyako warned Omonigho to be careful as people worship in his shrine in the open court, the chief priest responded thus: “I have repented my lord”.
The judge, however, directed that Haruna, who was at large, should be brought to court to face the sin of his escape from lawful custody, even though he was discharged of the counts against him.
The judge commended the defence lawyer, Bala Dakum, and the prosecution counsel, Chioma Onuegbu, for their industrious input in the course of the trial.
The defendants were first arraigned before Justice Adeniyi Ademola of a FHC on 9th June 2014, on a 13-count charge bordering on conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping and acts of terrorism.
While the three defendants were in court, Haruna was said to be missing after the attack on Kuje Correctional Centre by terrorists on 5th July 2022.
They were accused of committing acts of terrorism, contrary to Sections 1, 8, and 10 of the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2011. They were alleged to have, on 23rd August 2013, kidnapped Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, at Iruekpen on his way to Iviukwe in Agenebode, Edo State.
Ozekhome was held in captivity for about three weeks before his release allegedly following the payment of N28 million ransom.
They were also accused of kidnapping Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof Hope Eghagha; Attanasius Ugbme, and his friend, Emmanuel Maka Omorogbe, and killing five policemen and two prison officials.
The defendants were also alleged to have compelled Eghagha to pay N7 million, Ugbome paid N20 million, and Omorogbe to paid N3.5 million.
The five police officers allegedly killed were Paul Ajaka, Sunday Ewanshiha, Michael Akpada, Bakary Ekong, and Innocent Odoh.
They also allegedly killed Lawrence Edora and Oyibo Okoye who were prison officers and made away with their service rifles.
The four suspects were refused bail filed on their behalf by their lawyer, Bala Dakum.
While Ezeigbe and Azuekor were held at the facility of the Department of State Service, Omonigho and Haruna were held at Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.
