By David Lawani, Abuja
An Ekiti State High Court has sentenced two convicted kidnappers to death by hanging for the abduction of a staff member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), while discharging a third defendant for lack of sufficient evidence.
The convicts, Ibrahim Abubakar and Abdullahi Abubakar, were found guilty of kidnapping Omoboade Adesina, an NYSC staff member, in Ekiti State on April 22, 2022.
The judgment was delivered by the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, at High Court I, Fajuyi, Ado-Ekiti, in Suit No. HAD/124C/2022.
A third defendant, Usman Abubakar, was discharged and acquitted after the court held that the prosecution failed to establish his involvement in the crime beyond reasonable doubt.
The three suspects were arrested following investigations by the Department of State Services (DSS), which subsequently prosecuted the case.
In his judgment, Justice Ogunmoye held that the prosecution successfully proved the charges against the two convicted kidnappers, warranting the maximum punishment prescribed by law.
The Chief Judge also commended the diligence and professionalism of the DSS prosecutors, noting that critical evidence presented during the trial played a decisive role in securing the conviction.
Particularly, the court highlighted the identification parade conducted by the DSS and the analysis of Call Data Records (CDRs), which linked the convicts to the crime and strengthened the prosecution’s case.
The judgment represents another significant legal victory for the DSS in its ongoing efforts to combat kidnapping, terrorism and other violent crimes across the country.
The latest conviction follows recent successes recorded by the Service, including the securing of death sentences against three men convicted of terrorism and cross-border arms trafficking by a High Court in Sokoto State, as well as the conviction of a kidnap suspect in Kogi State.
Security observers say the growing number of successful prosecutions underscores the increasing reliance on intelligence-led investigations and forensic evidence in the fight against violent crime.
The DSS has consistently maintained that perpetrators of kidnapping, terrorism and related offences will be tracked, arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
The Ekiti judgment is expected to reinforce public confidence in the criminal justice system and serve as a warning to criminal elements operating within and outside the state.
