Two of the four defendants accused of abducting Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, were found guilty on Friday and given sentences of 20 years in prison each by an Abuja Federal High Court.
In a ruling, Justice Binta Nyako stated that the prosecution had proven beyond a reasonable doubt the charges brought against first and second defendants Frank Azuekor and Kelvin Ezeigbe.
The sentence would begin to serve on the day of their arrest, according to Justice Nyako’s ruling.
The third and fourth defendants, Michael Omonigho and Momoh Haruna, were cleared of the terrorism charge’s charges by the judge, who also dismissed the charges against them.
Despite the fact that some of the charges against Ezeigbe and Azuekor carried sentences that could have included the death penalty, life in prison, or at least ten years in prison, she maintained that she had discovered that the defendants had expressed regret for their criminal behavior.
Additionally, she claimed to have discovered that they had been detained for roughly ten years starting on the day of their arrest.
Omonigho, who was reportedly the chief priest, was reportedly present in court, but Haruna was not, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
The chief priest replied: “I have repented my lord. Nyako warned Omonigho to be careful as people worship in your shrine in the open court. “.
Despite being exonerated of the charges against him, the judge ordered that Haruna, who was still at large, be brought before the court to answer for his sin of escaping from legitimate custody.
The prosecutor’s counsel, Chioma Onuegbu, and the defense attorney, Bala Dakum, were praised by the judge for their diligent work during the trial.
The defendants, identified by NAN as Kelvin Ezeigbe, Frank Azuekor, Michael Omonigho, and Momoh Haruna, were initially charged with 13 counts of conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping, and acts of terrorism before Justice Adeniyi Ademola of a FHC on June 9, 2014.
After the terrorist attack on Kuje Correctional Center on July 5, 2022, Haruna was reported missing while the three defendants were in court.
The Terrorism Prevention Act of 2011’s Sections 1, 8, and 10 were allegedly violated by them, according to the allegations made against them.
They allegedly did so on August 1. Mr. Ozekhome was abducted on January 23, 2013, while en route to Iviukwe in Agenebode, Edo.
Prior to his alleged release following the payment of a N28 million ransom, Ozekhome was held captive for about three weeks.
Additionally, they were charged with killing five police officers and two prison guards in addition to kidnapping the Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Hope Eghagha, Attanasius Ugbme, and his friend, Emmanuel Maka Omorogbe.
Eghagha was accused of being forced to pay N7 million, Ugbome N20 million, and Omorogbe N3 point 5 million by the defendants.
Paul Ajaka, Sunday Ewanshiha, Michael Akpada, Bakary Ekong, and Innocent Odoh were the five police officers who allegedly perished.
Additionally, it is claimed that they killed prison guards Lawrence Edora and Oyibo Okoye and stole their service rifles.
The bail request made on behalf of the four suspects by their attorney, Bala Dakum, was rejected.
Omonigho and Haruna were kept at the Kuje Correctional Center in Abuja, while Ezeigbe and Azuekor were kept at the Department of State Service facility.