Court remands farmer, 42, over alleged kidnap

An Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday ordered the remand of a 42-year-old farmer, Seyi Osanipin at the correctional centre in Ado-Ekiti over alleged kidnap.

Police prosecutor, Insp. Oriyomi Akinwale, told the court that a small boy, suspected to have herded cows into Osanipin’s farm where crops were destroyed went missing after the defendant went to check the level of destruction on his farm.

He said the defendant committed the offence on Dec.1 at about 7.30 p.m. at Oke-Ako Ekiti in Ikole Ekiti Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

He added that the defendant had told the police in a statement that some herdsmen went to his farm and destroyed his crops, and that he went to the farm to assess the level of damage.

Akinwale said that there was a small boy who went to the farm and was not found thereafter, adding that the police suspected the defendant to be the brain behind his disappearance because of the destruction on his farm.

He noted that the offence contravened the Kidnap and Terrorism (Prohibition) Law of Ekiti State, 2015.

The prosecutor urged the court to remand the defendant in the correctional centre pending legal advice from the office of Director of Public Prosecution.

The plea of the defendant was not taken before the Chief Magistrate, Mr Saka Afunso, ordered the remand of Osanipin pending issuance of legal advice.

Afunso adjourned the case till Jan. 11, 2022 for mention.