An Ekiti State Chief Magistrate’s Court, sitting in Ado Ekiti, has ordered the detention of a 28-year old Ibrahim Abdullahi and 23-year old Muhammed Umaru in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service, for allegedly kidnapped and robbed one Ayodeji Bankole.
The development followed an ex-parte application brought to detain the defendants by the Police prosecutor, Inspector, Oriyomi Akinwale.
He said granting the order will allow the police to complete their investigation, while the duplicate case file will be forwarded to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.
In his ruling, the Chief Magistrate Bankole Oluwasanmi, ordered that the accused persons should be taken to the Nigeria Correctional Centre, Ado Ekiti, and be remanded for a first and initial period of one month effective from today, 24th March 2022″.
According to the charges preferred against them, Ibrahim and Muhammed were on 16th March 2022, at about 9:00 pm at Ilemeso Ekiti in Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State, suspected conspired to commit the offense of armed robbery and kidnapping of one Bankole Ayodeji.
In his statement, Ayodeji, an okada man, said he was working with some timber contractors in the farm around 9:00 pm on that day when he saw the two Fulani herdsmen, who asked for his boss and ordered him to kneel.
He said while trying to escape, one of them macheted him on the head, hand and fingers, and led him to where he parked his motorcycle, but couldn’t ride due to the injuries sustained.
Bankole added that they thereafter collected his phone, ordered him to unlock it, and taught them how to operate it, and was later kept inside the bush where he eventually escaped and went to the hospital for treatment.
When he was in a hospital bed, the defendants had been arrested and were brought to him for identification, which he was able to do.
The offenses run contrary to section 6 and 1 (2) (a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act Cap. 398 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and Section 3(a) of the kidnapping and Terrorism (prohibition) Law of Ekiti State, 2015.
The matter has been adjourned to 25th April 2022.
