A High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, has sentenced three persons, Augustine Akpojivi, Dawel James, and Collins Enye to death by hanging for involvement in kidnapping.
Besides being guilty of kidnapping, they were accused persons were also found guilty on three other counts of conspiracy to commit a felony to wit: kidnapping, illegal possession of firearms, demanding property with threat and stealing and they were slammed with a jail term of 20 years each with hard labour.
However, two other accused persons were lucky as they escaped the death sentence having been discharged and acquitted by the court.
The two discharged persons are the 1st and 5th accused, Samuel Okoloda and Precious Victor Ochuko who were acquitted for lack of sufficient evidence linking them to the crime by the prosecution.
It would be recalled that Augustin Akpojivi a driver by occupation, 29 years old Dawel James also a driver and Collins Enye okada rider 23, and others now at large, on or about the 10th day of August, 2013 at Aka Avenue, Effurun within the Effurun Judicial Division, did conspire and kidnapped one Rufus Uzoma Allwell, staff of Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) while armed with guns and demanded for a ransom of N2 million before releasing their victim.
It was learnt that the 3rd accused person, Dawel James who was the driver to the kidnapped victim master minded the kidnap of his boss and received part of the N2 million ransom paid by the elder brother of his boss.
Reacting to the court judgment, the state attorney-general and commissioner for justice, Barrister Peter Mrakpor hailed the court verdict and expressed optimism that the judgment will send a strong signal to criminally minded persons that it was not business as usual.
He said the Delta State government will continue to protect and uphold the laws of the state and create enabling environment for investors and for the people of the state to live together freely and more harmoniously.
Mrakpor also commended the exceptional courage displayed by witnesses in the matter who came out willingly without pressure to give evidence in court during the trial and called on others to emulate the patriotic spirit put forward by the prosecution witnesses.
