By Wale Ishola
THE Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure, on Monday, sentenced three persons to death by hanging over the kidnapping of two reverend sisters and their driver at Onipetesi area, along the Ore-Lagos highway about four years ago.
The accused persons were said to have demanded and collected N1 million ransom before the three victims were released.
About seven people were taken to court and arraigned for the kidnapping of the reverend sisters.
The accused include, Reuben Akinbehinje (a.k.a Chairman), Saheed Oyewo (a.k.a Olaoluwa), Seun Lajuwomi (a.k.a Ebile), Abimbola Akinbehinje, John Imoleayo Uche (a.k.a Uchenna), Seun Iseoluwa Akintan (a.k.a Egbegbe) and Lateef Fayemi Hammed.
They were charged for conspiracy, kidnapping, armed robbery, aiding and abetting kidnapping and accessory after the fact were preferred against them.
The accused persons were said to have kidnapped and held their victims hostage for 11 days in the bush until the ransom was paid in 2016.
Testifying against the defendants, an official of the Department of State Services (DSS), Johnson Siunu, explained that the kidnappers were tracked and arrested through the phone number they used to negotiate and monitor the delivery of ransom payment.
Delivering his judgment, Justice Ademola Adegoroye, said the prosecution failed to produce evidence before the court against Akintan and Fayemi and therefore discharged them.
The judge, however, found Akinbehinje, Uche and Lajuwomi guilty of all the charges and sentenced them to death by hanging.
He said the prosecution had been able to prove the case of conspiracy, armed robbery and kidnapping against the three convicts and sentenced them accordingly.
The judge also fined Abimbola Akinbehinje, wife of one of the accused, who was charged for being an accessory to the crime, while one of the accused, Saheed, was said to have died in the prison.
The two Catholic reverend sisters, Apo Perpetual and Roseline Familade, alongside their driver, identified as Zwugwa Zibai, were abducted by the accused in May 2016, while the convicts were arrested in 2018.
