JOSEPH OLUBUNMI KAYODE OYEWOLE, JCA (Delivering the Leading Judgment): This is in respect of an appeal against the judgment of the High Court of Akwa Ibom State, Itu Judicial Division delivered on the 21st of November, 2013 by Abraham, J convicting the Appellant for the offence of kidnapping and sentencing him to death.
The antecedent facts are that sometimes around 4th August, 2011, the victim, late Mr. Okon Edem Johnson was kidnapped. The kidnappers subsequently got in touch with his family through his daughter, PW1 using the victim's mobile phone and requested for a ransom of ₦100 million and ₦20,000.00 worth of MTN recharge cards. The ₦20,000.00 worth of MTN recharge cards were procured and forwarded by text containing the recharge numbers. In the course of investigation, three of the forwarded recharge numbers were traced through the MTN network and it was found that one of them was loaded by a phone number belonging to the Appellant. Appellant denied being involved in any kidnap …