The police in Ondo State have arraigned a man, Muritala Najimu, before a Magistrate’s Court sitting in Akure, the state capital, for allegedly kidnapping his ex-girlfriend, Omowumi Tiamiyu.
The 27-year-old defendant was alleged to have committed the offence on September 24, 2022, around 8,30pm at lkare Akoko, Akoko North-East Local Government Area of the state.
He was arraigned on two counts bordering on kidnapping.
The police prosecutor, Martins Olowofeso informed the court that the defendant committed felony to wit kidnapping.
He said the defendant, while armed with gun and other offensive weapons kidnapped one Omowumi Tiamiyu, to an unknown destination.
The charge sheet read in part, “That you, Muritala Najimu and others at large, on September 24, 2022 at about 8:30 pm at lkare Akoko, in the Ondo State Magisterial District did conspire to commit felony to wit kidnapping and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 516 A of the Criminal Code Cap, 37.Volume 1 Laws of Ondo State Nigeria, 2006.
“That you, Muritala Najimu and others at large, on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District, while armed with gun and other offensive weapons did kidnap one Omowumi Tiamiyu , 22 years old to an unknown destination and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 3 (A&B) of the Ondo State Anti-kidnapping and Anti-Abduction Laws( Special Provision) 2010.”
However, the defendant entered a non guilty plea.
When the magistrate enquired from Najimu where he was on the day the lady got missing, he responded that he was home with some neighbours, who came around to watch film in his house, including his new girlfriend.
The defendant admitted that Omowumi Tiamiyu, 22, was his ex-girlfriend before she went missing.
He said they used to fight sometimes because she loved following and sleeping with different men.
“We were both living together with the knowledge of her mother. But since I noticed she doesn’t want to change her bad behaviour, I asked her to go back to her mother’s house, because I don’t want her to implicate me. And since then, I have not set my eyes on her,” he explained to the court.
The prosecutor brought an application for the remand of the defendant pending advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Counsel to the defendant, Sunday Ojigbo prayed the court to strike out the remand application filed against his client, saying there was no fact or evidence to prove that he committed the offence.
Ojigbo, therefore, prayed the court to admit his client to bail in most liberal terms.
Magistrate R.A Olumilua, in her ruling, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N400,000 with two sureties in like sum.
The magistrate said one of the sureties must be a relative of the defendant, and adjourned till November 23, 2022 for hearing.
