The traditional ruler of
Iba Town, Oba Goriola Oseni admitted that his family paid N15.1 million to free
him after the kidnappers initially demanded N500 million ransom.
The monarch stated this on
Friday, November11th, while giving evidence before the Lagos High Court sitting
at Igbosere as the trial of four suspects, who kidnapped him begins.
The defendants, Duba
Furejo, Ododowo Isaiah, Reuben Anthony and Yerin Fresh, who were first
arraigned before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo on October 24, are standing trial on
an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy, murder, attempted murder,
robbery, armed robbery, stealing and kidnapping preferred against them by the
Lagos State Government.
The defendants and others
still at large, murdered a security guard, Sunday Eniola Okanlawon
and a commercial motorcyclist, Joseph Okeke and also attempted to murder the
traditional ruler's wife, Olori Abosede Oseni.
Led in examination by the
Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Adeniji Kazeem
(SAN), who led a team of lawyers for the state, the 73-year-old monarch
narrated how he was kidnapped by nine heavily armed men at his palace while
watching TV oat about 8pm, on July 16th.
"This is the king,’
the gunmen said. I asked them, ‘what can I do for you?’ Then they grabbed me. I
was in only a boxer because I was preparing to take a bath. My Olori (Queens)
came in and asked them where they were taking me to but they fled when the
gunmen released some bullets in the decking of the room," Oseni told the
court.
He further narrated how the
gunmen dragged him out of the palace and shot sporadically, in the process,
killed his security guard and a motorcyclist. They also shot at one of his
wives.
"They started pushing
me and shouting 'trek, trek', till I fell and injured my arm. Mt toe was also
forcibly removed, so they carried me,"
The suspects took him to a
speedboat where he was driven away to a riverine camp with about 50 militants.
The next day, he was taken to a bigger camp with six buildings and more of the
militants. He said they demanded N500 million ransom but his family paid N12
million and then another N3.1million to another group of the kidnappers,
totalling N15.1million after he was released.
The Oba’s son, Prince
Kazeem, who testified as the second prosecution witness, said he delivered both
ransom money of N12m and N3.1m to the abductors at a canal near Igbehinadun in
Iba, adding that they negotiated the ransom from N500m to N40m but they
couldn’t raise that amount, especially after the government refused to pay any
ransom. The militants gave him directions to the drop off point on phone after
warning him not to tell anyone.
Justice Taiwo adjourned the
case till November 18, following a request by the prosecution for time to
present more witnesses.
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