Four young men in their early twenties have been appreehended by the Police operatives from the Tactical Team of Area K Command, Ijanikin of the Lagos State.
The young men who formed a 4-man gang of suspected kidnappers abducted a victim and collected Three Million Naira ransom at FESTAC town
This incident happened late August 2024 at the 3rd avenue axis of FESTAC Town. The suspects were Arinze Nwachukwu, 24, Edem Chuks, 23, Emmanuel Ebere, 20, and Oluwatobi Adeniyi, 23. They were alleged to have targeted the victim. They forcefully abducted him and took him to an unknown location. There, he was forced to pay the ransom.
However, the matter was reported to the Police. The operatives moved into action, eventually arrested the suspects and detained them for interrogation over their alleged criminal conduct. After rounds of interrogation, the Police found them culpable. They charged them before the Ojo Magistrate Court for the alleged conspiracy. They were also charged with kidnapping under the Criminal Laws of the State.
Part of the charges read:
COUNT I: That you, Oluwatobi Adeniyi “M”, Emmanuel Ebere “M”, Arinze Nwachukwu “M”, Edem Chuks “M” and others at large, on the 27th day of August 2024 along Immigration office Road, FESTAC town, Lagos, in the Lagos State Magisterial District, did conspire among yourself to commit felony to wit kidnapping and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.”
COUNT II: That you, Oluwatobi Adeniyi “M”, Emmanuel Ebere “M”, Arinze Nwachukwu “M”, Edem Chuks “M” and others at large on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned magisterial district, did kidnap one Ezechukwu Samson “M” and collected the sum of Three Million Naira Only (#3,000,000.00) as ransom against his will, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 271 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.”
However, the Court did not take their plea when they were arraigned. The prosecutor, Supol Simeon Uche, moved a motion. He asked the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for legal advice.
Thus, the Presiding Magistrate, Mr. LKJ Layeni, ordered their remand in custody at the correctional center. This will continue pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice. He directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the DPP.
The matter was adjourned till 11th October, 2024, for mention for the report of the DPP’s advice to be ready, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.