An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced two university graduates to a total of 30 years in prison for kidnapping a student of the Federal University Oye Ekiti (FUOYE).
The convicts, Ojo Babajide (31) and Olajide Nathaniel (35) were handed 15-year sentences each—comprising 10 years for kidnapping and 5 years for conspiracy. The jail terms are to run concurrently, beginning on May 21, 2025.
According to court documents, the duo, who were fresh graduates at the time of the offense in March 2022, abducted one Atana Emmanuel, a FUOYE student and hair salon operator, from his shop in Oye Ekiti. Emmanuel was taken to an undisclosed location and later to a hotel in Ado Ekiti, where he was forced to pay for lodging and pressured to call relatives for a N1 million ransom. He eventually raised N101,000. When further funds didn’t come, the kidnappers stripped and beat him with a horsewhip before releasing him.
The defendants were arraigned on July 19, 2022, and faced charges of kidnapping and conspiracy, which violated Sections 279 and 280 of the Ekiti State Criminal Law, 2021.
The prosecution, led by Kunle-Shina Adeyemo, presented one witness and submitted relevant statements and documents as evidence. The defense counsel, Akinola Abon, pleaded for leniency, citing the convicts’ recent graduation and imminent NYSC service.
In delivering the judgment, Justice Adeniyi Familoni condemned the rising trend of kidnapping, stating that the convicts made a deliberate choice to engage in the crime and must face the consequences. He ruled that the punishment should serve as a deterrent to others.