An Ekiti State High Court has sentenced two kidnappers arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) to death for abducting a staff member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the state.
The convicts, Ibrahim Abubakar and Abdullahi Abubakar, were found guilty of kidnapping Omoboade Adesina, a female NYSC staff member, who was abducted on April 22, 2022.
Delivering judgment, the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, sentenced the two men to death by hanging after the prosecution established their involvement in the crime beyond reasonable doubt.
However, the third defendant, Usman Abubakar, was discharged and acquitted after the court ruled that there was insufficient evidence linking him to the offence.
The suspects were arrested and prosecuted by the DSS, which presented evidence including an identification parade and call data records that the court described as crucial to securing the conviction.
Justice Ogunmoye commended the DSS prosecution team for its diligence and effective presentation of evidence, noting that the materials provided were instrumental in proving the case.
The latest judgment adds to a series of successful prosecutions secured by the DSS against perpetrators of violent crimes. It follows recent convictions, including a death sentence handed to three men by a Sokoto State High Court for terrorism and cross-border arms-related offences, as well as the conviction of a kidnapper in Kogi State.
The DSS said the convictions reflect the impact of its intelligence-driven investigations and its commitment to ensuring that kidnappers, terrorists, and other criminal elements face the full consequences of their actions under the law.
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