BMJS kidnap: Court remands six suspects in prisons

By IFEOMA IKEM

THE atonement for their sins against humanity, six suspects that participated in the kidnapping of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School girls at Ikorodu, Lagos have been remanded in the prisons.

Chief Magistrate I. O. Adelaja of an Ebute-metta Chief Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, ordered the remand of suspected kidnappers who allegedly kidnapped three students of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School, Ikorodu.

The kidnappers identified and remanded are: Emmanuel Arigidi, (37); Gift Pius, (30); Omoni Rufus Fred, (32); Owei Omobo Geofrey, (38); Akanji Seun, (38); and James Henry Segun, (29).

Chief Magistrate Adeleja made the remand order of the six suspected kidnappers, following a remand application filed and argued by the lawyer to the Police, Mr. Godwin Osuyi.

Arguing the remand application, Osuyi, said the application was brought pursuant to section 264(1) and (2), of the administration of Criminal Justice of Lagos State, 2011.
Osuyi further informed the Court that the remand application was to enable the Directorate of Public Prosecution, (DPP), to issue an advice on the matter.

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He, therefore, urged the court to remand the suspects for the first 30 days, pending when the advice will be issued by the DPP.

However, the six suspects who were represented by Mr. Ola Ogunbiyi did not opposed the police’s remand application.

Consequently, the presiding Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Adelaja, ordered that the six suspected kidnappers be remanded in prisons custody for the first 30 days. While ordered the police to duplicate the case file and forward it to the DPP for an advice.

The matter has been adjourned till April 25, for DPP advice.

In the charge sheet marked D/13/16, attached with the remand application, police alleged that the suspected kidnappers had on February 29, 2016, at about 8p.m, while armed with AK 47, an offensive weapons, invaded Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School, Ikorodu, and unlawfully kidnapped and detained three students of the school.

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The three students allegedly kidnapped by the suspects includes: Tofunmi Popo-Olaniyan, (15); Olusa Timilelun, (14) and Deborah Akintayo, (14) all female.

The police alleged that the suspects took the students to a Creek between Imota and Igbokuta of Ikorodu, on February 29, before they were rescued by the police on March 6, 2016.

They were also alleged to have robbed the Principal of the school, one Venerable Ola OluwaAdeyemi of the sum of N5.6 million.

Aside that, the first suspect, Emmanuel Arigidi, alleged to have been a member of the armed gang that robbed FCMB at Admiralty Way, Lekki, of the sum of N24 million, on March 12, 2015.

The offences, according to the Osuyi, are punishable under sections 409, 269(1), and 295(2) of the Criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.