Court remands 6 Lagos schoolgirls’ kidnappers

SIX persons recently ar­rested by the police in con­nection with the kidnap of three students of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School, Ikorodu have been remanded in Prison by the Lagos State Magistrate, Ebute-Metta. 

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

Their remand was sequel to an application brought before Chief Magistrate I. O. Adelaja 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 informed the Court that the remand application was to enable the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), to issue an advice on the matter.

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 Ogunbiyj did not oppose the police’s remand application.

Consequently, the pre­siding Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Adelaja, ordered that the six suspected kidnap­pers be remanded in prison custody for the first 30 days, while the police was ordered to duplicate the case file and forward it to the DPP for an 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, and other of­fensive weapons, invaded Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School, Ikorodu, and unlawfully kidnapped and detained three students of the school.

In the charge sheet, the police also alleged that on February 25, 2016 at about 8pm along Ikorodu Ijebu Ode road, Lagos, the sus­pects armed with AK 47 rifles and other offensive weapons robbed one Ven­erable Ola Oluna Adeyemi the sum of N5.6million.

The amount is however believed to be the ransom paid by the school to secure the release of the students, a fact that puts a lie to earli­er claims by the police that no ransom was paid before the students were released.

The three students al­legedly kidnapped by the suspects include: Tofunmi Popo-Olaniyan, 15: Olusa Timilelun, 14 and Deborah Akintayo, 14: all girls.

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

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

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