The Court of Appeal Lagos Division on Monday affirmed the sentence of the dethroned Baale of Shangisha in Magodo, Lagos State, Mutiu Ogundare, for faking his abduction.
Justice Hakeem Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja had on September 27, 2022, sentenced the convict to 15 years imprisonment.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, Ogundare approached the court to challenge the decision of the lower court which sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment.
However, when the case was called on Monday, Mr Jubril Kareem announced his appearance for the respondent, while Mr Kayode Ojo appeared for the appellant.
Delivering judgment, the lead Justice of the three-man, Justice Peter Bassi, who read the verdict, upheld the judgment of the lower court in counts one and two and upturned count three.
Other Justices of the panel are Justice Bayero and Folashade Ojo, who agreed with the lead justice.
Bassi said that Ogundare’s appeal succeeded in part and reduced his sentence to 12 years.
The court, however, held, “The appellant is to serve 10 years imprisonment, for count one and two years for counts two, respectively.”
On the third count, the court upturned the sentence in respect of false representation to release a kidnapped person.
The convict was first remanded on July 16, 2017, in Kirikiri Prison, by an Ogba Magistrate’s Court, for allegedly faking his kidnap.
Ogundare was prosecuted alongside his wife, Abolanle and brother, Opeyemi Mohammed.
They were arraigned on three counts bordering on conspiracy, breach of peace and fake kidnapping, preferred against them by the Lagos State government.
Justice Oshodi, on June 15, 2022, convicted Ogundare and his brother Opeyemi Mohammed and reserved judgment till September 27, 2022.
Before their conviction, Ogundare’s counsel Olarewaju Ajanaku, in his allocutus pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.
Ajanaku told the court that the convict had turned a new leaf and that he did not think through his actions when he committed the offence.
The second defence counsel, Dr. Olayinka Owoeye, also in his allocutus prayed the court to temper justice with mercy adding that the convict (Mohammed),had learnt his lessons.
The said kidnap took place on July 5, 2017, but Ogundare later confessed to security services that he staged the kidnap to blackmail the state government.
He was allegedly abducted by three men along the Centre for Management Development Road, Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area.
The Baale was said to have received a phone call from alleged developers, who had indicated an interest in a landed property within his domain.
The callers told him where to meet them, prompting Ogundare to drive to the address with one of his brothers, Mohammed.
On arriving at the location, the three men appealed to the Baale and his brother to join them in their White Toyota Venza so that they could go and see the land.
It was stated that on their way, the Baale’s brother noticed one of the men had a gun with him and he raised alarm and the suspected kidnapper pushed the Baale’s brother out of the vehicle and sped off with the Baale.
In the same month, the former governor of Lagos State, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, ordered the removal of Ogundare as the baale of Shangisha. (Punch)