Justice Hakeem Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja has convicted and sentenced the deposed Baale of Shangishaarea, Chief Mutiu Ogundare, to 15 years imprisonment for staging his own kidnap.
Justice Oshodi jailed the former monarch alongside one of his brothers, Adams Opeyemi Mohammed, who helped him to perpetuate the crime while his wife, Abolanle, was discharged of the allegation.
The state government had arraigned the monarch, his wife and his brothers before the court in 2017 over a three-count charge of conspiracy, fake kidnapping and breach of public peace.
The state accused Ogundare of allegedly on July 5, 2017, “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.
Part of the charge read that Mohammed and Abolanle on the same day allegedly “did aid, counsel, abet and procure MutiuOgundare to fake his kidnap” contrary to Section 7(1) and (2) of the Kidnapping Prohibition 2017, No. C17, Law of Lagos State.
The three defendants in the third count allegedly took part in the offence of fake kidnap contrary to Section 16(1)(a-d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, CH. 17, Vol. 3, Laws of Lagos State 201.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charge.
In his judgment, Justice Oshodi sentenced the former monarch and his brother to 10 years imprisonment on count one without an option of a fine. While 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.
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