Gloria Ogbu
A High Court in Ikeja, Lagos state has sentenced a traditional ruler, Mutiu Ogundare, former Baale of Shangisha in Magodo area of Lagos state, to 15 years in prison for faking his own abduction.
The traditional ruler was sentenced by Justice Hakeem Oshodi on Tuesday following his conviction on a two-count bordering on breach of peace and fake kidnapping.
According to the report, the defendants committed the offence on July 5, 2017. The prosecution said Ogundare put himself forward to be kidnapped for the purpose of causing a breach of public peace, adding that his brother and wife aided him in the crime.
Ogundare and Opeyemi Mohammed, his brother, were convicted on three counts bordering on conspiracy and fake abduction. The court, however, discharged and acquitted Ogundare’s wife.
The judge said: “I have considered the allocutus of the defence counsels. However, it is in the view of this court that the defendants showed no remorse during the trial. In fact, the first defendant tried to buy his way out of the court. A lesson has to be thought to serve as a deterrent to others.
“The defendants are hereby sentenced to 10 years for count one without an option of fine, one year to count two with an option of N200,000 and 15 years to count three without an option of fine.
The sentencing shall run concurrently from the day they had been arrester.”
Recall that Ogundare, who confessed to security services that he staged his kidnap to blackmail the state government, was in July 2017, removed as the baale of Shangisha by Akinwunmi Ambode, former governor of Lagos state.
