The Court of Appeal in Lagos has upheld the conviction of Mutiu Ogundare, the former Baale of Shangisha in Magodo, Lagos State, for staging his own abduction.
On September 27, 2022, Justice Hakeem Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja sentenced Ogundare to 15 years in prison. However, Ogundare appealed the decision, seeking to overturn the conviction.
On Monday, the Court of Appeal heard the case, with Mr. Jubril Kareem representing the respondent and Mr. Kayode Ojo representing the appellant. In a judgment delivered by the lead Justice, Peter Bassi, the three-man panel upheld the lower court’s decision on counts one and two but overturned count three. The other justices on the panel, Bayero and Folashade Ojo, concurred with the lead justice.
While the appeal was partially successful, the court reduced Ogundare’s sentence from 15 years to 12 years. This means that Ogundare will serve a reduced term for his role in faking his own abduction.
The court, however, held, “The appellant is to serve 10 years imprisonment, for count one and two years for counts two, respectively.”
On the third count, the court upturned the sentence in respect of false representation to release a kidnapped person.
The convict was first remanded on July 16, 2017, in Kirikiri Prison, by an Ogba Magistrate’s Court, for allegedly faking his kidnap.
Ogundare was prosecuted alongside his wife, Abolanle and brother, Opeyemi Mohammed.
They were arraigned on three counts bordering on conspiracy, breach of peace and fake kidnapping, preferred against them by the Lagos State government.
Justice Oshodi, on June 15, 2022, convicted Ogundare and his brother Opeyemi Mohammed and reserved judgment till September 27, 2022.
Before their conviction, Ogundare’s counsel Olarewaju Ajanaku, in his allocutus pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.
Ajanaku told the court that the convict had turned a new leaf and that he did not think through his actions when he committed the offence.
The second defence counsel, Dr. Olayinka Owoeye, also in his allocutus prayed the court to temper justice with mercy adding that the convict (Mohammed),had learnt his lessons.
The said kidnap took place on July 5, 2017, but Ogundare later confessed to security services that he staged the kidnap to blackmail the state government.
He was allegedly abducted by three men along the Centre for Management Development Road, Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area.
The Baale was said to have received a phone call from alleged developers, who had indicated an interest in a landed property within his domain.
The callers told him where to meet them, prompting Ogundare to drive to the address with one of his brothers, Mohammed.
On arriving at the location, the three men appealed to the Baale and his brother to join them in their White Toyota Venza so that they could go and see the land.
It was stated that on their way, the Baale’s brother noticed one of the men had a gun with him and he raised alarm and the suspected kidnapper pushed the Baale’s brother out of the vehicle and sped off with the Baale.
In the same month, the former governor of Lagos State, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, ordered the removal of Ogundare as the baale of Shangisha.
