A 49-year-old driver, Suleiman Alao, has been remanded by a Kwara State Magistrate’s Court in Ilorin,over the kidnap of an Islamic cleric, Alfa Sofiu Amolegbe, and his son, Ali.
According to The PUNCH, Alao was charged with taking part in the kidnapping of the father and son on November 17, 2022, at their home in Oko-Olowo, on the outskirts of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
He was charged by the police on Friday with conspiracy and kidnapping-related offenses.
Police reports state that some armed robbers broke into the cleric’s home in the middle of the night.
They demanded jewelry from the cleric’s wife, and one of the thugs slapped the cleric’s brother Fasasi in retaliation in an effort to terrorize the family.
According to reports, the robbers were enraged and shot Fasasi. The cleric and his son were then forcibly abducted, and a ransom of N100,000 was demanded to set them free.
The police said that the accused, Alao, was detained close to the cleric’s residence and was unable to provide a convincing defense when questioned.
“Investigation conducted by the anti-kidnapping squad revealed that the defendant criminally conspired with others at large by aiding or abetting the victim’s kidnap,” the police alleged.
The police prosecutor, Abdullahi Sanni, requested that Alao be kept in custody after his arraignment.
The trial magistrate, Mrs. Aminat Shittu, issued a brief ruling in which she directed that the accused be kept in custody at the Ilorin correctional facility while the case was continued for further consideration until December 15, 2022.