by ‘Jola Sotubo

Two kidnappers in Delta State have received the highest punishment possible for their crime of kidnapping a magistrate.

Saidu Haruna and Raphael Egwuba, were sentenced to death by hanging on the orders of a State High Court sitting in Asaba, the state capital.

The duo were found guilty of kidnapping the magistrate, identified as Onoriode Yvonne Asheshe, and dispossessing her of her ATM card, jewellery,a Honda SUV and a BlackBerry phone which subsequently led to their arrest.

Vanguard reports:

An Asaba High Court, yesterday, sentenced two persons to death by hanging, having found them guilty of kidnapping and robbing a female magistrate at gunpoint on Boxing Day two years ago.

The convicted persons,  who claimed to be phone technicians and welder at Osubi, respectively, were arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping and armed robbery on charge no A/37C/2012.

Prosecution told the court that the female magistrate was, on December 26, 2011, driving into her compound at noon, when the armed men abducted her. 

She was eventually taken to a bush where they dispossessed her of valuables, including an ATM card, which the convicts used to withdraw an undisclosed amount before they were caught.