Three men arraigned in court for kidnapping an apprentice

Three men have been accused before an Ebute Meta Magistrate’s Court for allegedly kidnapping a 20-year-old man, Chinonso Nwoye.

It was reported that Jamiu Musa, 23, Abuchi Joseph, 35, George Okoye 48 with some others still at large, conspired to kidnap Nwoye on November 26, 2013.

It was learnt that the victim was an apprentice serving one Mr. Adeyemi Musa, who's a tiles contractor.

He was said to have been working with Adeyemi for about a year after he left secondary school.

However, in November, 2013, Nwoye reportedly told his parents that his boss had announced that they would be going on a journey to Calabar to lay tiles for a client.

His parents reportedly raised objection because of the distance, but relented when Adeyemi assured them that nothing would happen to their child.

It was learnt that while the men were on the trip, Nwoye’s telephone line suddenly became unreachable.

The victim’s mother was said to have become apprehensive when Adeyemi, with whom she had been communicating, also switched off his telephone.

It was learnt that Nwoye’s mother, after waiting anxiously for days, went to the Osun State indigene’s shop at Odun-Ade Market, Orile, Lagos, where she learnt that the people who went on the journey had returned and had gone on several other trips.

Adeyemi was said to have fled, but the police were able to apprehend his brother Jamiu, and two others.

It was said that they could not give any satisfactory account of the missing boy, which raised suspicion of a possible kidnap or ritual killing.

The police arraigned them on two counts of kidnapping.

The charge read, “That you, George Okoye, Musa Jamiu, Abuchi Joseph, and others at large, on or about November 26, November 2013, about 11pm at Odun-ade Market, Orile, Lagos in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit; kinapping.

“That you on the same date, time and place, in the aforesaid magisterial district along Shagamu-Ijebu-Ode Expressway, Ogun State, did kidnap one Chinonso Nwoye, aged 20 years.”

The offence was said to be punishable under sections 409 and 269 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State Nigeria, 2011.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge and elected summary trial.

Their defence counsel, F.C Osordi and A.A Osuji, applied for their bail in liberal terms.

Osordi said, “This matter is resolvable between the parties involved. We want to pursue amicable settlement of this matter out of court and we will be grateful if you could grant the defendants bail in reasonable terms.”

The police prosecutor, Inspector U.A Moses, who stood in for the resident prosecutor, ASP Etim Ekankuk, objected to the bail due to the nature of the offence.

He expressed fears that the defendants could jump bail since the fate of the victim was still unknown.

However, the magistrate, Ms S.O Solebo, upheld the bail application.

She said, “The section under which this matter has been brought before this court allows for bail. If they are ever convicted for the crime, they can only be punished for a maximum of 10 years. If you had come under a different section of the law, then I may have considered your application to deny the defendants bail. You may need to amend your charges, but in the present circumstances, I will grant them bail.”

 Solebo thereafter admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two sureties in like sum.

The matter was adjourned till February 17, 2014.