Ondo: Police arraign driver over alleged kidnap, murder of businessman

Idowu Adekanye, a middle-aged driver, was on Friday charged by the Ondo State Police Command with murder and kidnapping of a businessman named Omololu Olowosoyo in the Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State.

According to Police Prosecutor Taiwo Oniyere, Adekanye committed the crime on January 14, 2023, along Ore-Irele road, and was charged with conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder on four counts.

Oniyere testified before the court that the defendant accompanied his boss on a business trip to Osogbo, Osun state, where they kidnapped him and took him to an undisclosed location

The victim was also said to have been strangled and killed by the defendant with a stick.

According to the charge, the offense violates Sections 316 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. I, Laws of Ondo State, 2006 and Sections 6(b), 2(a), and (b) of the Ondo state Anti-kidnapping, 2010.

In light of the charge, Oniyere urged the court in an application to hold the defendant at the Olokuta Correctional Center until the Director of Public Prosecutions could provide guidance (DPP).

D.S. Akinbo, the defense attorney, requested that the application be dismissed because his client had already received it on the day of his arraignment and it was therefore not ready for hearing.

With Magistrate R.O Yakubu adjourning the case, the deceased’s family had earlier called for justice and discreet investigation in a petition to the AIG, Zone 17, by the family lawyer, A.K Akinbuluma.