The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has sentenced 3 kidnappers to death and 2 others to life imprisonment with charges bordering on terrorism, kidnapping and conspiracy.
Four other suspects including one female, and three males were acquitted by justice Omotosho Kolawole.
In July two thousand and seventeen a medical doctor working at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital Alexandra Akani was abducted at his residence in Aluu, and taken to one of the forests in Emouha local government area of Rivers State, and the kidnappers demanded a ransom of twenty million naira, which they later reduced to one million six hundred thousand naira before his release.
After Doctor Akani regained his freedom, he reported the matter to the Department Of State Security Services DSS, which investigated the matter that led to the arrest of the nine suspects.
They were charged to court after three years of legal battle. The final verdict was delivered on Wednesday by Justice Kolawole Omotosho. ,He sentenced three suspects to death, imprisoned two, while four were acquitted.
The defence counsel to the plaintiffs Gbarago who reacted to the judgement, said they will look into the ruling, so that the sentences would be reduced.
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Family members of the convicted kidnappers who found the judgement unpleasant, cried that One of the kidnappers was their only son.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
