COURT SENTENCES UNILORIN STUDENT TO 20 YEARS IMPRISONMENT

A Court of Appeal sitting in Ilorin has sentenced a 300-level student of the University of Ilorin to 20 years imprisonment for attempted kidnap.

Ebenezer Gbadamosi, 22, who had earlier been arraigned before Justice Sulyman Kawu of Ilorin High Court, on a three-count charge, was sentenced by the appellate court for attempted kidnap of the son of an Ilorin-based Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

The High Court had convicted Gbadamosi on charges of conspiracy to kidnap, threat by means of telephone/SMS to kidnap and attempt kidnap under sections 2, 3, 5 and 15 of the Kwara State Prohibition and Kidnapping Law, 2010 of the penal code.

In case No. CA/IL/C.104/2013, the appellate court, in the lead judgment delivered by Justice Hussein Mukhtar, on July 10, 2014, agreed with the submission of the assistant state lead counsel for the respondent, MAI Akande that the appellate court has the power to re-evaluate the evidence before the trial court and substitute higher sentence for one which the accused person was earlier convicted for by the trial court.

At the lower court, the trial Judge sentenced the accused to one year imprisonment with an option of N100, 000 fine for the offence of extortion, while the 2nd accused person, Samson Ibitoye, was discharged and acquitted.