Two graduates have been sentenced to 30 years in prison each by an Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti for kidnapping a fellow student.
The convicts, Ayodele Olayemi (26) and Ogunleye Adebayo (25), were convicted for the kidnapping of a 20-year-old female student of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE). The offense was carried out in September 2021 at Oye-Ekiti.
The convicts lured the victim to Ayede-Ekiti, the court documents reveal. On arrival, they held her hostage, demanded ₦500,000 ransom from her parents, and ultimately abandoned her in a bush when the ransom could not be paid as agreed.
The case was reported to the police and a formal investigation was launched. The two suspects were later arrested and taken to court. The prosecution presented concrete evidence in court, including a video of the victim in captivity and several call logs between the suspects and the family of the victim.
Giving evidence in court, the victim explained that she was held captive under the threat of fear, deprived of food, and threatened relentlessly. Her account agreed with police reports, which indicated the act had been planned and carried out for the purpose of extorting money from her parents.
The court, presided over by Justice Blessing Ajileye, found them guilty of kidnapping contrary to Section 3 of the Ekiti State Kidnap and Terrorism (Prohibition) Law, 2015.
Delivering judgment, reading it out, Justice Ajileye said the evidence showed the convicts conspired and plotted the crime. He sentenced each of them to 30 years imprisonment.
The verdict is a strong signal against kidnapping in the state. The government welcomed the court’s decision as a fillip in fighting rising cases of student-targeted kidnappings.
Ekiti security agencies have since alerted parents and students to be cautious and report suspicious movements around the campuses.
