Son Arraigned in Court over Bid to Kidnap Father for…

A 29-year old man, Mr.Jeremiah Mercy Bamidele was on Monday 12th March, 2018, arraigned before an Iyaganku Magistrate Court, Iyaganku, Ibadan on charges of felony and attempted kidnap of his father Mr. Olumuyiwa Bamidele for ransom.

Four charges were preferred against Jeremiah. The first count stated that the accused person and others now at large on 21st day December, 2016 at about 22.10hrs, at Bamidele compound, Idi Ayunre Area of Ibadan, in Ibadan Magisterial district did conspire to commit felony to wit; kidnap his father and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 516 of criminal code Cap 38 Vol. II laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2001.

The second count stated that he, Jeremiah and others now at large on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial district did kidnap one Olumiyiwa Bamidele who happens to be his father and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 3(1) (2) and punishable under section 4 (2) of the kidnapping (Prohibition Laws of Oyo State 2016).

The third count read that he, the defendant and others now at large on the same date, time and place, at the aforementioned Magisterial District allegedly did demand with menace that he will kill one Mr. Olumuyiwa Bamidele of same address if he refused to give him the sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500,000.00 or $1,388.8) and there committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 406 of the criminal code Cap 38 Vol II Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.

And the last count was that he, the defendant and others now at large armed with cutlass and knives did attempt to murder Mr. Olumuyiwa Bamidele thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 320 (1) of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Vol. Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.

In absence of any Counsel to the defendant, the Court asked the accused person to enter into plea to all these charges or not and he pleaded guilty to all the charges against him.

During the proceeding, the accused person’s mother, Mrs. Bamidele testified against her son and told the court to uphold justice. The mother proceeded that the boy has constituted much nuisance on different occasion before he was arrested by the police. She further testified that the accused person had threatened his father three times in the mid-night by jumping over him and choked his neck of which Mr. Bamidele escaped all these attempts. She also confirmed that Jeremiah and others now at large ganged up to kidnap his father and demanded for the sum of N500,000.000 from the family as ransom in the year 2016. She applauded Nigerian police for their tremendous work they do to arrest Mr. Jeremiah Mercy Bamidele, though others escaped. She finally told the Court that since the arrest of Mercy, His father has been having absolute peace at home and the father can decisively sleep in the mid-night.

All counsels in the court at that moment pleaded on behalf of the accused person – Jermiah Mercy Bamidele before the Court and tried to persuade Mercy’s father to be lenient and withdraw the case from the Court but the father insisted that he wants justice.

The Magistrate A.A. Adebisi advised Mr. Bamidele over his action and made him realize the likely outcome of charges counted against his son.  He further pointed out that assuming he sentenced him to life imprisonment which is the highest punishment for the charges preferred against the accused.

Later, according to his name – Mercy, he may eventually find mercy from any Government Administration, the Magistrate opined. And the defendant may  be released and this would mean that Mr. Bamidele would have postponed the evil days. But, if Mr. Bamidele can listen and stick to the advice of the Counsels in the court and with the proper counseling and monitoring by the Magistrate himself, he – the Magistrate strongly believes that Mercy can still change for good to himself and to the society at large. The Magistrate thereafter      adjourned further hearing on the case till 26 of March, 2018.

 

By Ademola Oladele

PublicTimes http://publictimes.com.ng ISSN 2250-9259

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