The trial of the seven persons accused of kidnapping of a businessman, Ayodele Olaoye, suffered a set-back yesterday owing to failure of prison warder to bring five of the accused.
Only two of the defendants, Esther Phillip and Patricia Inna, were in court while Kingsley Okonwa, Osita Adigwe, Uzochukwu Ezioha, Jude Sunday and Michael Olarenwaju remanded at Kirikiri minimum prison were absent.
One of the defence counsel, Mr. A. Ajanaku, informed the court that five of the defendants were mistakenly taken to Ikeja High Court by the prison official instead of the Lagos High Court.
Ajanaku said one of the prison officials had been contacted to bring the defendants back to Lagos High Court.
But the trial judge, Justice Olabisi Akinlade, expressed displeasure over the behaviour of the prison officials who claimed to be acting on ignorance of a recent redeployment of judges from one division to the other.
Akinlade wondered why prison officials from the Kirikiri medium prisons have not been bringing inmates to court in the past one week.
The judge said the court registrar informed her that she called the prison official, named Chime, but he claimed to be in Ikeja hence he could not bring them.
Akinlade vowed to take the issue up with the Comptroller of Prisons as she noted that it was an act of incompetence.
The court also directed the Lagos State Attorney- General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, to look into the matter administratively.
Olaoye, 28, was allegedly kidnapped by a lady, Esther Phillips, who he met at Pegas Club in Opebi, Lagos on April 22, 2012.
Phillips was said to have conspired with six others to commit the offence.
The seven defendants, who were arraigned on March 5, are facing a fourcount charge of conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping and felony.
Olaoye had in his testimony disclosed that he paid 31,260 dollars (N5 million) as ransom for the release of his son.
However, Akinlade adjourned the matter to October 18, for trial within trial.
Source: Warder takes kidnap suspects to wrong court (http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/warder-takes-kidnap-suspects-to-wrong-court/)