Two men jailed 20 years for 2013 abduction of Mike Ozekhome

Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday, sentenced two men, Kelvin Ezeigbe and Frank Azuekor, to 20 years imprisonment each for their roles in the abduction of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome.

The Federal Government arraigned the convicts alongside two others – Michael Omonigho and Momoh Haruna before Justice Adeniyi Ademola on a 13-count charge of conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping, and acts of terrorism on June 9, 2014.

While the three defendants were in court, Haruna was declared missing after the attack on Kuje Correctional Centre by terrorists on July 5, 2022.

They were accused of committing acts of terrorism contrary to Sections 1, 8, and 10 of the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2011.

The prosecution told the court that the defendants abducted Ozekhome in Edo State on August 23, 2013.

The lawyer was held in captivity for about three weeks before he was released following the payment of N28 million ransom.

READ ALSO: Kidnappers release Benue commissioner, hold on to ex-LG chairman, cousin

The defendants were also accused of kidnapping the former Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof Hope Eghagha, Athanasius Ugbme, and his friend, Emmanuel Maka Omorogbe.

The accused, according to the prosecution, killed five policemen and two prison officials in the attack.

In her ruling, Justice Nyako held that the prosecution had been able to establish the charges against Ezeigbe and Azuekor beyond a reasonable doubt and sentenced them to 20 years in prison each.

She added that the sentence would run from the day of their arrest.

The judge, however, discharged and acquitted Omonigho and Momoh on the charges.

Nyako held that though some of the charges against Ezeigbe and Azuekor attracted punishment ranging from death sentence, life imprisonment, and at least 10 years jail term, she was lenient in her ruling because the accused had been remorseful of their criminal act.

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