A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, on Wednesday, sentenced two men to life imprisonment for the kidnap of Mrs Asime Sekibo, who is the wife of Senator George Sekibo, the lawmaker representing the Rivers East Senatorial District in the Senate.
Asime, who was kidnapped in March 2012 in the Obiri Ikwerre area of the East-West Road, Port Harcourt, alongside her friend, Evelyn Ossai, on their way from the University of Port Harcourt, where they were studying. They were held by their abductors for five days until a ransom was paid.
The convicts, Abel Okoro and Vincent Wilson, faced nine counts bordering on kidnapping, armed robbery, rape and felony and were found guilty by the court.
Following the testimonies of the victims during cross examination and their ability to identify the accused persons as being their abductors, who also demanded and got a ransom of N10m, the presiding judge, Justice Elsie Thompson, found both men guilty.
Justice Thompson, relying on the Rivers State Criminal Prohibition Law, 2018, as amended, and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, sentenced both men to life imprisonment without an option of fine.
She ruled, “In all, I found the defendants guilty of conspiracy to kidnap and the kidnap of Princess Asime George Sekibo and Evelyn Anwulika Ossai in counts 1, 2, 3, and 4. I find the defendants not guilty for the offence of armed robbery and armed kidnap of Francisca Ijeoma Oddey and Iseme Hassan in counts 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
“I hereby sentence you, Abel Okoro, to life imprisonment without an option of fine for conspiracy and kidnap of Princess Asimie George Sekibo and Evelyn Anwulika Ossai on March 22, 2012, at Obiri Ikwerre on the East-West Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
“I also sentence you, Wilson Gift Vincent, to life imprisonment without an option of fine for conspiracy and kidnap of Asimei George Sekibo and Evelyn Anwulika Ossai on March 22, 2012, at Obiri Ikwerre on the East-West Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.”
The counsel for the 1st convict, E. Ochu, as well at the state counsel, N. Fike, declined making any comments outside the courtroom after the judgment.