An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced two graduates to a combined 30 years in prison for the kidnapping of a student from the Federal University Oye Ekiti (FUOYE).
The convicts, Ojo Babajide (31) and Olajide Nathaniel (35), were found guilty of kidnapping and conspiracy related to the abduction of Atana Emmanuel, a FUOYE student and salon operator. Both men were fresh graduates at the time of the incident in March 2022.
They were first arraigned on July 19, 2022, on charges of conspiracy and kidnapping, offenses which contravene Sections 279 and 280 of the Ekiti State Criminal Law, 2021.
According to court documents and the victim’s statement to police, Emmanuel was abducted from his shop around 7 p.m. on March 23, 2022. He described how the convicts forced him into a waiting car and transported him to an undisclosed location in Oye Ekiti, later moving him to a hotel along Ikere Road in Ado Ekiti.
I was made to pay for the hotel room through a mobile transfer. They demanded a ransom of one million naira from my relatives; Emmanuel told the court. I only managed to raise N101,000. When they realized more money wasn’t coming, they beat me severely with a horsewhip after forcing me to undress. I was later released with serious bruises all over my body.
Prosecutor Kunle-Shina Adeyemo called one witness and presented key evidence, including statements from the victim and the convicts, along with a bond for Emmanuel’s release. The defense, led by Akinola Abon, pleaded for leniency, arguing that the two men were preparing for their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at the time of their arrest and had no prior criminal record. The defense presented three witnesses.
In his ruling, Justice Adeniyi Familoni condemned the growing incidence of kidnapping in Ekiti State, stating:
Despite the serious efforts being made to combat kidnapping, the defendants chose to partake in this criminal enterprise. They cannot now evade the consequences. Their actions deserve more than a mere slap on the wrist.
The court sentenced each convict to 10 years for kidnapping and 5 years for conspiracy, to run concurrently, meaning each will serve 10 years in total, beginning from May 21, 2025. No option of a fine was granted.