From: Godwin Tsa, Abuja.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered five men allegedly involved in the abduction of pupil of Nigeria/Turkish school Ogun State to be remanded in Kuje prison pending their trial last.
The defendants : Bekewei Agbojule (a.k.a Asari), Egbasimokumo Ayeomi (a.k.a Effiong), Godspower Olopele, Toki Okuba and Super Allen Baye (a.k.a Yanga) were arraigned before Justice John Tsoho in Abuja after Tuesday attempt to arraign them failed due to absence of pidgin interpreter in court.
Three of the defendants – Agbojule, Ayeomi and Baye are from Ijaw community of Arogbo town, in the riverine area of Ondo State, while the two others -Olopele and Okuba are residents of Ikorodu, Lagos State and Isheri in Ogun State, respectively.
The defendants who were not represented by counsel during the arraignment pleaded not guilty to the five count charge .The prosecution counsel, Aminu Aliyu from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation told the court that in the light of plea the court should give a date for the prosecution to call witnesses.
In a brief ruling Justice Tsoho ordered the defendants to be remanded in Kuje prisons pending the trial . He adjourned trial till September 28, as he explained to defendants through an interpreter that the long adjournment was due to court long vacation which begin next month.
According to the charge the defendants were said to have demanded and collected N50m ransom from the families of some pupil and staff members of a school in Isheri, Ogun state who they abducted on January 13, 2017, and another six victims along Ikorodu Expressway, Lagos, on December 16, 2016.
“That you, Bekewei Agbojule, a.k.a Asari, of College Road Abapa/Arogbo, Ondo State; Egbasimokumo Ayeomi, a.k.a Effiong of Opuba village, Arogbo town, Ondo State; Godspower Olopele of Araromi Majidun, Ikorodu, Lagos; Toki Okuba of Ijaw village behind Opic Estate, Isheri, Ogun State and Super Allen Baye a.k.a Yanga of Opuba village, Arogbo, Ondo State, on or about January 13, 2017, at Nigeria/Tulip International College, Isheri, Ogun State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did commit an offence to wit: hostage taking in that you seized some staff and students of Nigeria/Tulip International College, Isheri, Ogun State, namely, Nwosu Stephanie, Olatubosun Zainab, Agodi Rebecca, Radiyan Aminu, Rashidat Ibrahim, Aderinto Hanat and Deriyo Yaziel at gun point to compel their family members to pay ransom before releasing them.
“That you, Bekewei Agbojule, a.k.a Asari, of College Road Abapa/Arogbo, Ondo State; Egbasimokumo Ayeomi, a.k.a Effiong of Opuba village, Arogbo town, Ondo State; Godspower Olopele of Araromi Majidun, Ikorodu, Lagos; Toki Okuba of Ijaw village behind Opic Estate, Isheri, Ogun State and Super Allen Baye a.k.a Yanga of Opuba village, Arogbo, Ondo State, on or about January 13, 2017, at Nigeria/Tulip International College, Isheri, Ogun State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did commit an offence to wit: hostage taking in that you detained some staff and students of Nigeria/Tulip International College, Isheri, Ogun State, namely, Nwosu Stephanie, Olatubosun Zainab, Agodi Rebecca, Radiyan Aminu, Rashidat Ibrahim, Aderinto Hanat and Deriyo Yaziel and demanded from their family members a monetary ransom of eight hundred million naira (N800,000,000), which you later reduced to the sum of fifty million naira (N50,000,000) and received by you before releasing them.
“That you, Bekewei Agbojule, a.k.a Asari, of College Road Abapa/Arogbo, Ondo State; Egbasimokumo Ayeomi, a.k.a Effiong of Opuba village, Arogbo town, Ondo State; Godspower Olopele of Araromi Majidun, Ikorodu, Lagos; Toki Okuba of Ijaw village behind Opic Estate, Isheri, Ogun State and Super Allen Baye a.k.a Yanga of Opuba village, Arogbo, Ondo State, on or about December 16, 2016, at Asolo Bridge, Ikorodu Expressway, Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did commit an offence to wit: hostage taking in that you seized one Joshua Olayinka, Rita Morah, Kendra Abiose and four others at gun point to compel their family members to pay ransom before releasing them.
“That you, Bekewei Agbojule, a.k.a Asari, of College Road Abapa/Arogbo, Ondo State; Egbasimokumo Ayeomi, a.k.a Effiong of Opuba village, Arogbo town, Ondo State; Godspower Olopele of Araromi Majidun, Ikorodu, Lagos; Toki Okuba of Ijaw village behind Opic Estate, Isheri, Ogun State and Super Allen Baye a.k.a Yanga of Opuba village, Arogbo, Ondo State, on or about December 16, 2016, at Ibafo Creek, Ogun State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did commit an offence to wit: hostage taking, in that you detained one Joshua Olayinka, Rita Morah, Kendra Abiose and four others and demanded a monetary ransom of two million naira (N2,000,000) from their family members which you received before releasing them.”
The prosecution alleged that the offence of conspiracy to commit hostage taking was an act of terrorism contrary to section 17 of Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act, 2013, and punishable under the same section of the Act.
It alleged that other offences of seizing, hostage taking and demanding ransome were also acts of terrorism said to be contrary to 15 (1) of Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act, and punishable under the same section of the Act.