THE Federal High Court sitting in Abuja,today, convicted and sentenced two kidnappers, Kelvin Ezeiegbe and Frank Azuekor, to 20 years in prison.
The court, in the judgement that was delivered by Justice Binta Nyako, found that the duo were involved in the abduction of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Prof. Mike Ozekhome and his driver, on August 23, 2013.
Their kidnapping operation, which occured along Benin-Auchi highway in Edo State, led to the death of six security operatives that were attached to the senior lawyer.
Though the court found Ezeiegbe and Azuejor guilty of kidnapping, terrorism and murder, it, however, discharged and acquitted two of their alleged accomplices- Michael Omonigho and Haruna Momoh- who were cited as 3rd and 4th defendants, respectively, in the case that was prosecuted by the Federal Ministry of Justice.
Whereas Omonigho regained his freedom, the court directed security agencies to trace and arrest Momoh who escaped from custody during the recent jail break at Kuje prison in Abuja.
Justice Nyako held that the prosecution could not establish allegations of conspiracy and kidnapping against Omonigho and Momoh.
She however ordered that Momoh should be apprehended and put on trial for escaping from lawful custody.
It will be recalled that the convicts were docked before the court in June 2013, on a 13-count criminal charge.
They were specifically charged with conspiracy to commit terrorist act, kidnapping of persons, inciting persons to commit act of terrorism recruitment.
