Ekiti High Court Deaths Two Men for NYSC Kidnapping

An Ekiti State High Court has sentenced two men to death by hanging for the 2022 kidnapping of a National Youth Service Corps official. Chief Judge Lekan Ogunmoye delivered the judgment on Thursday, June 25, 2026, convicting Ibrahim Abubakar and Abdullahi Abubakar while acquitting a third defendant for lack of evidence.

The case stemmed from the violent abduction of Omoboade Adesina on April 22, 2022. According to evidence presented in court, armed men attacked the Adesina family, allegedly killing her husband, Taiwo Adesina, on his farm before abducting her from their residence. The victim was blindfolded, taken away on a motorcycle, and held captive. Her kidnappers used her phone to contact relatives, initially demanding a ransom of 10 million naira. The family later paid 3.25 million naira to secure her release.

Justice Ogunmoye ruled that the prosecution, led by the Department of State Services, proved its case against the two convicts beyond a reasonable doubt. He specifically commended the DSS prosecutors for their diligence and highlighted critical evidence that secured the conviction. This included an identification parade conducted during the investigation and a...