An Ekiti State High Court has sentenced a 25-year-old man, Gabriel Emmanuel, to life imprisonment after being found guilty of kidnapping the Monarch of Ekiti, Oba Adeniran Benjamin Omotayo, and other related offenses.
Gabriel Emmanuel was initially arraigned in court on March 8, 2023, on a three-count charge that included murder, kidnapping, and demanding property with menace with the intent to steal. The court proceedings revealed that the convict and his accomplices had been involved in multiple criminal activities, including a fatal attack and extortion.
According to the charge sheet, “That Gabriel Emmanuel and others at large, on 13 September 2020, at Umesi Quarters, Igirigiri Road, Odo-Ado Ekiti, did murder one Jejelowo Fesobi David.”
“That on June 24, 2020, at Eda-Ile Ekiti, the defendant and his gang did kidnap the Eleda of Eda-Ile, Oba Adeniran Benjamin Omotayo.”
“That on November 20, 2021, at Ilumoba Ekiti, the defendant and his accomplices, still at large, forcefully demanded a sum of N4 million from one Barrister Joseph Olorunfemi with threats of violence.”
The prosecution stated that these acts violated Sections 319(1) and 316 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap. C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012, as well as Section 3 of the Ekiti State Kidnap and Terrorism (Prohibition) Law, 2015. The defendant was subsequently found guilty of these offenses and was handed a life sentence by the court.
During the police investigation, Oba Adeniran Benjamin Omotayo recounted the harrowing experience of his kidnapping, revealing that he was abducted while working on his farm.
“Suddenly, I saw some men, all armed with AK-47 rifles. Before I knew what was happening, one of them pointed a gun at me, and I was taken captive. My wife, who was with me at that moment, was freed and instructed to go and look for ransom money, or else they would kill me,” the traditional ruler narrated.
The monarch disclosed that he was held hostage for four days before one of his brothers paid a ransom of N1.28 million, leading to his release.
“While I was with them, they used my wife’s phone to contact my family members. At one point, the phone battery died, and they had to call someone from town to bring a charged battery. I could not see his face because he was masked, but I was able to recognize the kidnappers because they removed their masks whenever they wanted to smoke.”
Following his release, the monarch promptly reported the incident to the Rapid Response Squad of the Nigeria Police in Ado Ekiti, which led to an investigation and the eventual arrest of Gabriel Emmanuel.