Court sentences two to death for kidnapping NYSC official in Ekiti

An Ekiti state high court has sentenced two men to death by hanging for the kidnapping of Omoboade Adesina, a staff member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in April 2022.

Ibrahim Abubakar and Abdullahi Abubakar, the convicts were found guilty of abducting Adesina on April 22, 2022, while Usman Abubakar, a third defendant, was discharged and acquitted after the court ruled that the prosecution failed to establish his involvement in the crime.

The three defendants were arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and subsequently arraigned before the court.

Delivering judgment, Justice Lekan Ogunmoy, the chief judge of Ekiti state held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt against Ibrahim and Abdullahi.

The judge said evidence presented during the trial, including the identification parade conducted by investigators and the analysis of call data records, clearly linked the two convicts to the kidnapping.

Justice Ogunmoye subsequently sentenced Ibrahim Abubakar and Abdullahi Abubakar to death by hanging.

He, however, discharged and acquitted Usman Abubakar, ruling that there was insufficient evidence connecting him to the offence.