Court remands five men for alleged  murder, kidnapping

By Bayonle Adegbola

A  Lagos State Magistrates’ Court sitting in Yaba has ordered the remand of five persons who were allegedly involved in kidnapping, murder and armed robbery in the state.

The defendants include Lateef Kazeem, Eric Adetola, Sanusi Momoh, Samuel Anuoluwapo and Adamson Olayinka.

It was gathered that the defendants were arrested by men of the State Criminal Investigation Department for kidnapping, killing one person, Emmanuel Ezeike, at Abule Ado in January, and defrauding him of N2m as well as robbing other victims.

The defendants were arraigned before Magistrate P. E. Nwaka on nine counts bothering on conspiracy, armed robbery, murder and kidnapping.

The prosecutor, Thomas Nurudeen, told the court that the defendants committed the offence in January and February 2023, respectively, at the Ojo and Abule Ado areas of the state.

According to him, the defendants conspired with others at large, while armed with weapons to kidnap, kill and defraud Ezeike.

He stated that the defendants, while armed with a gun, also stole one iPhone, property of one Joel Ekeh, valued at N150,000 at the Egan area of the state.

Nurudeen said the offences committed contravened and are punishable under Sections 287, 299, 297(B), 411, and 415 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.

However, the defendants’ pleas were not taken by the court.

The prosecutor requested that the defendants be remanded in Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending the Director of Public Prosecution’s advice.

Granting the request, the Magistrate, P. E Nwaka, ordered that the defendants be remanded in Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending the DPP’s advice.

The case was adjourned till May 5, 2023.