SAMUEL CHUKWUDUMEBI OSEJI, J.C.A. (Delivering the Leading Judgment): This appeal is against the judgment of the High Court of Edo State sitting in Benin City and delivered on the 31st day of October, 2014 wherein the Appellant and one other person were convicted for the offence of kidnapping contrary to Section 2(1) and punishable under Section 3(2) of the Kidnapping (Prohibition) Law of Edo State, 2009.
A summary of the facts of the case as presented by the Respondent is that on the 28/9/2011 at about 7pm, the Appellant with one Abubakar Kareem (aka Super) and three other persons now at large went to the house of one Barrister Maxwell Igbadiumhe (PW2) while armed with cut to size barrel guns and they kidnapped him, put him inside his own black BMW 3 Series car, after tying him up and took him to an unknown destination inside a forest. He was only released after three days in their custody and upon payment of N1million ransom which was brought to them in the bush by the victims wife (P…