The Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal has upheld the conviction of the deposed Baale of the Shangisha area of the state, Chief Mutiu Ogundare, who staged his kidnap.
The embattled sacked monarch was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by Justice Hakeem Oshodi of the Lagos State High in Ikeja on September 27, 2022, on a three-count charge of conspiracy, fake kidnapping, and breach of public peace.
The state had accused Ogundare of putting himself forward to be kidnapped to cause a breach of public peace,” contrary to Section 5 of the Kidnapping Prohibition 2017, No. C17, Law of Lagos State, on July 5, 2017.
In his judgment, Justice Oshodi sentenced the former monarch and his brother Adams Opeyemi Mohammed to 10 years imprisonment on count one without an option of a fine.
On count two, the court jailed the convicts for one year with an option of an N200,000 fine, and on count three, they are to spend 15 years behind bars without an option of a fine.
However, dissatisfied with the judgment, the convict approached the court to challenge the lower court’s decision, arguing that fake kidnapping is not known by law.
A three-person panel of the Court of Appeal, in a unanimous judgment read by Justice Peter Bassi, upheld the lower court’s verdict on counts one and two but upturned count three.
Other Justices of the panel are Justice Bayero and Folashade Ojo, who agreed with the lead justice.
Justice Bassi stated that the convict’s appeal succeeded in part and reduced his sentence to 12 years.
The court, however, held,” The Appellant is to serve ten years imprisonment for count one and two years for count two.”
One the third count, the court overturned the sentence in respect of false representation to release a kidnapped person.
