Kidnapping: Court Sentences two to Death By Hanging

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Saturday, May 7th, 2016

BALTIMORE, MD (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – An Abakaliki High Court in Ebonyi State, South- East Nigeria has sentenced two people to death by hanging for kidnapping a medical Doctor.

AFRICAN EXAMINER recalled that the Ebonyi State House of Assembly had passed into law, a bill that prohibits kidnapping in the state.

The convicts, Onyemachi Oge, a (female) and Okechukwu Oma, (Male) were found guilty by the court for kidnapping one Dr. Chuka Manyike.

The two kidnappers, alongside their partners in crime, namely, Chukwuemeka Levi, Idris Oken, Edeke Desmond and Ijeoma Oge, were accused of abducting Manyinke, a paediatrician at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki on May 5, 2013 at his private hospital, located at No. 15 Owerri Street, Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital.

Family members of the victim, had paid the sum of N3 million ransom to the hoodlums,before the medical doctor was released after staying six days in captivity.

The two sentenced members of the kidnap gang, Oge and Oma got N200,000 from the ransom.

Manyinke’s security guard, identified simply as Peter, was shot dead during the incident for attempting to prevent the hoodlums from abducting his boss.

Police investigation had revealed that Oma, a tailor, who operates his business opposite Manyinke’s hospital provided information to the kidnappers and gave them directive on how to perfect the unholy act, while Oge supplied beer, biscuits and water to the doctor during his days in captivity.

All the accused persons had been in prison custody since 2013, when the incident occurred.

Delivering his judgment on the matter Thursday at High Court 3, the trial judge, Justice Eze Udu, said the prosecution counsel, I. I. Anikwe, had proved his case against Onyemachi Oge, the 4th accused person and Chukwu Oma, the 6th accused person in the case beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced them to death by hanging.

He discharged and acquitted the 1st accused person (Levi), 2nd (Oken), 3rd (Desmond) and 5th (Oge) accused persons.

The Judge however, recommended that Ijeoma Oge, the 5th accused and her husband who is at large, be charged for conspiracy and kidnapping, for allowing their house to be used in keeping the victim during the incident.