A dethroned ‘Baale’ (Chief) in Shangisha in the Magodo area of Lagos State, Mutiu Ogundare, has bagged 26 years imprisonment for faking his own kidnap.
Justice Oshodi on Tuesday, convicted Ogundare and his brother Opeyemi Mohammed, on three counts bordering on conspiracy and fake abduction.
“I have considered the allocutus of the defence counsels. However, it is in the view of this court that the defendants showed no remorse during trial.
“The defendants are hereby sentenced to 10 years for count one without an option of fine, one year to count two with an option of N200,000 and 15 years to count three without an option of fine.
“The sentencing shall run concurrently from the day they had been arrested,” Oshodi said.
“In fact, the first defendant tried to buy his way out of the court. A lesson has to be thought to serve as a deterrent to others.
The first defence counsel, Mr. Olarewaju Ajanaku, who stood for Dr Muniz Banire, in his allocutus prayed the court to temper Justice with mercy.
According to him, the convict had turned a new leaf and did not think through his actions when he committed the offences.
Also, the second defence counsel, Dr Olayinka Owoeye, in his allocutus, begged the court to temper justice with mercy adding that the convict had learnt his lessons.
Meanwhile, the state prosecutor, Mr Jubril Kareem, however, urged the court to do justice according to the provisions of the law in sentencing the convicts.
According to the prosecution, the defendants committed the offence on July 5, 2017, adding that the offences contravene Section 7(1) and (2) of Lagos State Kidnapping Prohibition Law of 2017, and Sections 96 (1) (a-d) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
According to the prosecution, Ogundare put himself forward to be kidnapped for the purpose of causing a breach of public peace, adding that his brother and wife aided in the crime.
The court, however, set his wife Abolanle free having earlier absolved her of the charges.
It would be remembered that the Former Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos, in July 2017, ordered the removal of Ogundare as the Baale of Shangisha, for staging his own abduction.
