The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed the conviction and a 10-year jail term imposed on Lucky Okonkwo, one of the five convicted kidnappers of Alhaja Muibat, the wife of a former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon Nojeem Salaam.
In a unanimous judgment of a five-member panel, the Supreme Court held that that Okonkwo’s appeal lacked merit.
In the judgment read a Justice of Supreme Court (JSC), Justice Tijjani Abubakar, the apex court held that Okonkwo failed to persuade the court to depart from the concurrent judgments of the two lower courts – the Court of Appeal in Akure and Osun State High Court.
The appellate court had affirmed the judgment of Osun State High Court which was delivered on the March 30, 2021.
It is important to note the wife of ex- Osun Assembly Speaker was abducted in Ejigbo, Osun State on October 9, 2012 on her way home from work.
The Osun State High Court had on October 22, 2013 convicted the five men charged by the police in relation to the incident and tried on a three-count charge.
Convicted with Okonkwo (who was the said to the 33 years old) by the Osun High Court were – Chukwudi Okereke (40), Ogbole Ochijile Elijah (25), Kaikine Mahah (35) and Philip Nwadinnor (30).
In his judgment, Justice Moshood Adeigbe of Osun High Court, held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, saying that the kidnappers met and conspired before they executed their plans.
Justice Adeigbe then said, : “The confessional statements were clear that the accused persons met at Royal Hotel in Agbor, Delta State, where they planned the kidnap, perfected it in Lagos and carried it out in Ejigbo.
“The exhibits also showed that the five accused persons kidnapped Mrs. Salaam, forced her into a truck and dragged her into the bush on their way to Lagos before men of the Ogun State Police Command arrested them.
“I hold that the prosecution has established its case and therefore found the five accused persons guilty of conspiracy, kidnapping and unlawful possession of firearms,” the judge said.
Justice Adeigbe sentenced each of the five defendants to seven years on the first count of conspiracy; 10 years for kidnapping and another 10 years for unlawfully possession of firearms.
