An Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan on Friday ordered the remand of three men in a correctional facility in Ibadanover alleged kidnapping.
The defendants, Jiya Adams, 44; Joseph Abidoye, 39; and Femi Adetunji, 40.
The trio, whose house addresses were not provided, are being tried for alleged conspiracy, armed robbery, and kidnapping.
The Magistrate, Mr Olaolu Olanipekun, did not take the plea of the defendants for lack of jurisdiction to adjudicate in the case.
He directed the prosecution to duplicate the case file and send it to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice.
Olanipekun thereafter adjourned the case until May 13, for mention.
Earlier, the prosecutor, ASP Anthony Igori, told the court that the defendants allegedly committed the offence on Feb. 6, at about noon, at Saco Nigeria Ltd., Ibadan.
Igori alleged that the defendants and others at large, while armed with guns and other dangerous weapons, attacked an expatriate and owner of Saco Ltd., Mr Mohammed Il-Saheed.
Igori alleged that the defendants dispossessed Il-Saheed of his Samsung cell phone worth N800,000 and abducted him.
The prosecutor told the court that the defendants allegedly collected N35 million ransom from Il-Saheed’s employers before releasing him after six days in their captivity.
He said the offences contravened Sections 6(B) and 1(2) of the Robbery and Firearms Laws of Nigeria, 2004.
According to him, the offences also contravened Section 4(2) of the Oyo State Kidnapping Prohibition Law, 2016.
