Court remands kidnappers of Osun Speaker’s wife in prison

The alleged kidnappers were denied bail.

An Osun State Magistrate Court on Tuesday ordered that six persons charged for allegedly kidnapping the wife of the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly be remanded in prison.

The men- Chukwududi Okereke, Ogbole Ochijile Elijah, Okonkwo Lucky, Chukwuma Osifo, Kaikine Mahan and Uwadiunor Philip – were arraigned before the court by the state police command for their involvement in the abduction of the speaker’s wife, Muibat Sallaam.

Ms. Sallaam was kidnapped at Ejigbo on October  9 while returning home from work. She was later recovered from her captors in a bush in Ogun State as a ransom for her release was being negotiated.

The accused persons were those fetched at the scene by the team of rescuers, while others were said to have escaped arrest.

According to the charge sheet presented by the Police prosecutor, Elisha Olusegun, “the accused persons conspired together to kidnap Muibat and thus committed an offence contrary and punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code Cap. 34 Vol. 11 Laws of Osun State2003”.

Two AK47 rifles and four magazines with seventy eight rounds of live ammunition were allegedly recovered from them.

Though counsels to the accused persons, Bode Babalola, F. O. Nwosu and Nnena Ngwu, prayed for their bail, the presiding judge, Habibat Basiru, refused the prayer, ordering that they all be remanded in prison till December 28 when the case will come for mention.