A Bayelsa State High Court in Yenagoa has sentenced four individuals to death by hanging for conspiracy and kidnapping. The convicts—Manager Etonzor, Daniel Derietiedei, Inimotimi Rufus, and Tari Firstman—were found guilty under Section 2 (1) of the Bayelsa State Law 2013 by Justice Patience Diri in the case No. YHC/43c/2021.
According to the police prosecution, the four men, led by Etonzor, attacked the November Dredging Company’s worksite in Ayama Ijaw, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area. While their attempt to abduct the company’s owner failed, they opened fire to scare off the workers. However, they managed to abduct the company’s 28-year-old secretary, who was hiding in the office.
The kidnappers forced her to hand over N400,000 from the company’s safe before taking her to a boat and transporting her to their hideout. A ransom of N6.5 million was paid for her release after she spent over a month in captivity.
Following her release, Bayelsa State Police’s Anti-Kidnapping Squad launched a thorough investigation, leading to the arrest of Etonzor, the gang’s leader, and the identification of the other accomplices.
During their trial, the defendants claimed their confessions had been coerced through force and intimidation by the investigating officers. However, the court admitted their statements, along with witness testimonies, as evidence.
In her ruling, Justice Diri found the four men guilty of conspiracy and kidnapping, sentencing them to death by hanging.
