Court Remands Suspected Kidnappers of Oba Iba in Prison

Akinwale Akintunde
Four suspects involved in the kidnapped of a Lagos monarch, Oba Yushau Goriola Oseni, the Oniba of Iba, were yesterday, remanded in prison custody.

Magistrate B. O. Osunsanmi of an Ikeja Magistrate Court remanded the suspects in Kirikiri Prison pending their arraignment at the High Court on the advice of the state Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

The four suspects identified as Ododomo Isouah, 52, Reuben Anthony, 43, Yerins Fresh, 45, and Duba Furefo, 49 were brought to the Magistrate Court by the prosecutor, Eno-Edobor Aidenogia.

Oba Oseni was kidnapped from his palace on July 16 at about 8p.m.  In the process, two persons were shot dead by the kidnappers.

The kidnappers had asked the Oba’s family members to pay them a N500 million ransom after almost a week of their kidnapping him.
Aidenogia had sought that the suspects be kept in police custody pending their arraignment.

He submitted the remand application in respect to section 264 (1) (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice of Lagos State 2011; attached to the request is a 13 paragraph affidavit by Sgt. Dele Ojo Okunlayo.

He also tendered as exhibit A-D, the Legal advise from the office of the DPP with reference No: LJK/2016/140 dated August 20, 2016.
He stated that the request was made on offences bordering on conspiracy, murder, armed robbery and kidnapping of the victim at Iba Area.
According to Aidenogia, the suspects also admitted to have committed the crime and copies of their statements were attached to this application.

Meanwhile, one of the suspects from Ijaw, Duba Furefo (aka General Akuba), who gave his confessional statement in his native language and was translated by a translator, while being docked, said the armed robbery and kidnapping was a nine-man operation in which each of them received the sum of N1.2 million.

While in denial, Yerins stated that he knew nothing about the kidnapping but admitted to have received a sum of N100,000 from his friend, Isuoah, in order to pay his children’s school fees.
Magistrate Osunsanmi, however, remanded the four suspects and adjourned the matter till November 10, 2016.