An Ondo State High Court, Akure Division, on Monday sentenced seven Fulani herdsmen to life imprisonment for kidnapping former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae.

Falae later spoke to PREMIUM TIMES on the judgement, describing it as necessary to stamp out the menace of kidnapping.

Justice Williams Olamide found the accused guilty of the act committed in 2015 as charged by the Ondo State government.

Mr. Falae was taken captive by the herdsmen on September 21, 2015 during his 77th birthday.

He was released four days later after paying about N5 million as ransom.

The convicts are Abubakar Auta, Bello Jannu, Umaru Ibrahim, Masahudu Muhammed, and Idris Lawal. Two others were convicted in absentia.

The judge stated that the recovered ransom, call logs and identification of the suspects by Mr. Falae indicted them of complicity in the crime.

He subsequently sentenced them to life imprisonment without an option of fine.

In his reaction, Falae hailed the life sentence handed down to five of the kidnappers, saying the police should go after those at large.

“I think the police should not close the case, because so many of them are still at large,” Falae said.

“The police should go after them and ensure they are brought to justice.”

He also said that the sentence was appropriate as he was opposed to capital punishment.

“No one should take anybody’s life, not even the state,” Falae said. “Such criminals should be put away in prison for life.”

Recounting his ordeal at the hands of the kidnappers, Falae said: “The boys put me through a terrible time.

“They starved me and threatened me with their swords, they tore my clothes and made me walk long distances for four days.

“I thank God I did not die during the period, it was a harrowing experience.”

The politician, who is also leader of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, said it was the business of security agencies to stamp out kidnapping from the country.

He said Monday’s judgment should encourage security agencies to go after other kidnappers across the country.

“The country is becoming one of the most unsafe countries of the world,” he said.

“These kidnappers will stop a vehicle on the highway and abduct the passengers, and this is becoming rampant.

“We have investors coming into the country, they won’t come if we don’t do something about this.”

PT