Ebun Francis || The seven men who kidnapped Chief Olu Falae, the former secretary to the government of the federation in September 2015 at his farm in Owo were Monday sentenced to life imprisonment by an Ondo state high court sitting at Akure the state capital. They will serve their sentence at Olokuta prison, Akure without an option of fine.
The seven men, all Fulani herdsmen are, Abdulkadir Umar, Babawo Kato, Idris Lawal, Muhammed Masahudu Abubakar Auta, Bello Jannu and Umaru Ibarahim.
All the men were arraigned on five counts charge of kidnapping, abduction, aiding and abetting, kidnapping, conspiracy, and armed robbery.
The prosecuting counsel said that the offences were contrary to Section 2 of the Anti-Kidnapping and Anti-Abduction Law, 5(1) (a) of the Anti-Kidnapping and Anti-Abduction Laws, Section 3(11)(b) of the Anti-Kidnapping and Abduction Law, Section 6(b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act, Cap R11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and Section 1(2)(a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap R11, Vol. 14, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Justice Williams Olamide in his judgment while discharging the accused on the two counts charge of conspiracy and armed robbery, however, held that they were guilty of the kidnapping charge.
According to the Judge, the recovered ransom, call logs, and identification of the suspects by Chief Falae himself indicted the convicts of complicity in the crime.