Man bags life sentence for abducting Ondo monarch’s wife

An Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure has sentenced a man, Ekpemu John, to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of kidnapping the wife of traditional ruler of Ikoya town in Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state, Mrs. Grace Faduyile.

The convict, a member of a kidnap gang who abducted the monarch’s wife in 2017, was arrested by men of the state Police command.


A member of the gang was also killed by the Police while they were rescuing the victim.

John was later charged to court and arraigned on two counts of conspiracy and kidnapping.


In the case that started two years ago, witnesses were invited while the counsels defended the case.

After hearing from both the prosecuting and the defence counsels, the trial judge, Justice Ademola Adegoroye, delivered his judgement, saying he observed that all the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses and John’s own statement to the Police indicted the convict.

The court held that the prosecution had proved the case of kidnapping against the convict beyond reasonable doubt.

He sentenced the convict to life imprisonment.

The judge, however, said the convict might receive state pardon if he is found to be of exemplary behaviour while serving his sentence.