The Court of Appeal Lagos Division has affirmed the 15-year prison 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 initially sentenced Ogundare on September 27, 2022. Dissatisfied with the judgment, Ogundare appealed the decision.
On Monday, Justice Peter Bassi, leading a three-judge panel, upheld the lower court’s judgment on counts one and two but overturned the sentence on count three. The other justices on the panel, Justice Bayero and Justice Folashade Ojo, concurred with Bassi’s verdict. The sentence was reduced to 12 years, with 10 years for count one and 2 years for count two.
The court also overturned the sentence related to the false representation for a kidnapping release.
Ogundare was first remanded on July 16, 2017, in Kirikiri Prison by an Ogba Magistrate’s Court for allegedly faking his kidnap. He was prosecuted alongside his wife, Abolanle, and his brother, Opeyemi Mohammed. The charges included conspiracy, breach of peace, and fake kidnapping.
Before sentencing, Ogundare’s counsel, Olarewaju Ajanaku, pleaded for leniency, citing Ogundare’s remorse and claimed he had turned a new leaf. Similarly, Dr. Olayinka Owoeye, representing Mohammed, also requested a reduction in the sentence, highlighting the convict’s reformed attitude.
The alleged kidnap occurred on July 5, 2017, with Ogundare purportedly abducted by three men. He later confessed to staging the kidnapping to blackmail the state government. The men had initially approached Ogundare under the guise of discussing a property deal, leading him and his brother to drive to a specified location, where the abduction was staged.
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