Two men prosecuted for the abduction of a staff member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have been sentenced to death by hanging by an Ekiti State High Court after they were found guilty of kidnapping.
The convicts, Ibrahim Abubakar and Abdullahi Abubakar, were convicted by the Ekiti State High Court I sitting in Fajuyi, Ado-Ekiti, in suit number HAD/124C/2022.
The court, however, cleared a third defendant, Usman Abubakar, ruling that the prosecution failed to establish his involvement in the offence.
The case arose from the kidnap of Omoboade Adesina, an NYSC staff member in Ekiti State, on April 22, 2022. Following investigations, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) apprehended the suspects before charging them to court.
In his judgment, the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, held that the prosecution had proved its case against Ibrahim Abubakar and Abdullahi Abubakar beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced both men to death by hanging.
Justice Ogunmoye also discharged and acquitted Usman Abubakar after finding insufficient evidence linking him to the crime.
The judge commended the professionalism and diligence of the secret police prosecution team, noting that the identification parade conducted during the investigation and the analysis of Call Data Records were crucial in establishing the guilt of the convicted persons.
The judgment represents another significant legal victory for the DSS in its campaign against violent crimes across the country.
The conviction follows the recent sentencing to death of three men by a Sokoto State High Court after they were convicted of terrorism and cross-border arms trafficking.
It also comes after the successful prosecution of a kidnap suspect in Kogi State, among other cases handled by the security agency.
According to the DSS, the series of successful convictions reflects the growing effectiveness of intelligence-driven investigations in addressing kidnapping, terrorism and other violent offences.
The agency maintained that it remains committed to ensuring that individuals involved in kidnapping, terrorism and related crimes are prosecuted and made to face the full weight of the law.
