Bayelsa Court Sends Sh*ckwaves, Sentences Two Kidnappers To Death By Hanging

A High Court in Bayelsa State sitting in Yenagoa has handed down a death sentence by hanging to two men convicted for the abduction of Mrs Grace Omietimi, the mother of the Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, Dr James Omietimi. According to credible judicial reports, the convicts, Felix Oburu and Anthony Kio Eligwe, were found guilty of kidnapping and detaining the victim for several weeks before her eventual release.

Court proceedings revealed that the duo collaborated with other accomplices who remain at large to execute the crime. Oburu was identified as a native of Omoku Community in Ogba/Egbema Local Government Area, while Eligwe hails from Oyigba Community in Ahoada West Local Government Area, both in Rivers State.

Further details presented before the court indicated that Mrs Omietimi was abducted on September 17, 2017, and taken to Oyigba Community, where she was held in captivity for an extended period. Her release was eventually secured after her family paid a ransom.

Security operatives of the Department of State Services later apprehended the suspects following intelligence-driven operations that tracked their movements and activities. Delivering judgment on Thursday, the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, Justice Matilda A. Ayemieye, upheld the prosecution’s arguments and found the defendants guilty as charged, subsequently sentencing both men to death by hanging.

During the trial, the victim testified, providing a detailed account of her ordeal and identifying Anthony Kio Eligwe as the individual in whose residence she was held. Her testimony was corroborated by the investigating officer from the DSS Bayelsa State Command, who outlined how the suspects were traced and arrested.

The ruling is seen as a significant conclusion to a long-standing case and underscores the judiciary’s firm stance against kidnapping and related criminal activities.