The Bayelsa State High Court sitting in Yenagoa has sentenced four convicts to death by hanging over alleged conspiracy and kidnapping.
The convicts are Manager Etonzor, Daniel Derietiedei, Inimotimi Rufus, and Tari Firstman. On Wednesday, the presiding Judge, Justice Patience Diri, in the suit numbered YHC/43c/2021, found the four persons guilty of the allegations under Section 2 (1) of the Bayelsa State Law 2013.
Details of the Incident
According to the police prosecution counsel, the four individuals led by Etonzor had stormed the working site of a dredging company located at Ayama Ijaw in the Southern Ijaw Local Government area of Bayelsa State to abduct the owner of the company.
The judgement read, “While their attempt to abduct the owner of the dredging company failed, they started shooting sporadically and scared away most of the workers. But the 28-year-old secretary of the company, who was hiding in the office, was forcefully taken at gunpoint.”
Kidnapping and Ransom
The secretary was forced to part with N400,000 from the company’s safe and was taken away to a boat at the waterside.
She was transported to the kidnappers’ hideout, where a ransom of N6.5 million was paid for her release.
After one month and three days, she was released, and the operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping squad of the Bayelsa State Police Command commenced a diligent investigation, which led to the arrest of the kidnappers’ leader, Etonza Manager, and subsequently, the other members of the gang.
Court Proceedings and Verdict
Upon arraignment in court, the convicted kidnappers accused the investigation officers of “forceful obtainment” of confession and claimed “intimidation.”
However, the court, after listening to arguments by both counsel, admitted their various statements, witnesses’ statements, and confessions as evidence.
Justice Diri, in her ruling, found the four accused persons guilty of the two counts of conspiracy and kidnapping and sentenced them to death by hanging.