The Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court, Ibadan, on Friday ordered the remand of three men in a correctional facility over alleged kidnapping.

The defendants, Jiya Adams, 44, Joseph Abidoye, 39 and Femi Adetunji, 40.

The trio, whose house addresses were not provided, are being tried for alleged conspiracy, armed robbery and kidnapping.

The magistrate, Olaolu Olanipekun, did not take the defendants’ plea for lack of jurisdiction to adjudicate in the case.

He directed the prosecution to duplicate the case file and send it to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice.

Mr Olanipekun thereafter adjourned the case until May 13 for mention.

Earlier, the prosecutor, ASP Anthony Igori, told the court that the defendants allegedly committed the offence on February 6 at about 12:00 p.m. at Saco Nigeria Ltd, Ibadan.

Mr Igori alleged that the defendants and others at large, while armed with guns and other dangerous weapons, attacked an expatriate and owner of Saco Ltd., Mohammed Il-Saheed.

He alleged that the defendants dispossessed Mr Il-Saheed of his Samsung cell phone worth N800,000 and abducted him.

The prosecutor told the court that the defendants allegedly collected N35 million ransom from Mr Il-Saheed’s employers before releasing him after six days in their captivity.

He said the offences contravened sections 6 (B) and 1(2) of the Robbery and Firearms Laws of Nigeria, 2004.

According to him, the offences also contravened section 4(2) of the Oyo State Kidnapping (prohibition) law, 2016. 

(NAN)