By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced 3 suspects linked to the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State, to life imprisonment.
Justice Salim Ibrahim ordered that the life sentence should take effect from the date of the convicts’ arrest.
Before sentencing, defence counsel urged the court to exercise leniency, arguing that the defendants were first-time offenders, who had pleaded guilty to the charges against them.
The lawyer submitted that their guilty plea demonstrated remorse, adding that the offences for which they were convicted were not directly related to the kidnapping itself.
He further told the court that the convicts were married with children and had elderly parents who depended on them for support.
The defence, therefore, appealed to the judge to give them a second chance at life by imposing a lighter sentence.
The prosecution, however, opposed the plea for leniency, arguing that the convicts were aware of those involved in the criminal operation and, as law-abiding citizens, ought to have reported the information to the relevant authorities instead of concealing it.
