By Merit Ibe
A car dealer, Adekeye Adeyemi, has alleged that he was kidnapped in April last year, tortured and almost killed in Lagos by a syndicate linked to one of his clients before the police intervened and rescued him.
Adeyemi, who cried out for justice, one year after he regained freedom from his abductors, claimed he was saved miraculously in the process by the police who intercepted the vehicle while he was being taken away.
He stated that the men lured him to a house at Ojodu, Lagos, stripped him, tortured him, seized his phone and forced him to transfer money from his bank account, adding that they went as far as sending video recordings of torture to his family members and those on his contact list.
The syndicate that carried out the kidnap, according to Adeyemi, did so on the authority of one of his clients who had earlier purchased two vehicles that were yet to be cleared from the port from him.
He said the matter has since been taken to court, adding there were moves by some powerful forces to truncate justice.
He said: “But some forces within the system are trying to trivialize the crime. My assailants are now being charged with “tying and fist blowing” from what my lawyer found out. That is after two months that they were charged for kidnapping. I don’t know what changed between then and now. But I suspect some people are being manipulated in the system.
“I gathered that the people involved were asking that the charges against them be reviewed. My concern is that justice is about to be thwarted. I would have been killed and forgotten. While we are in court, we are also appealing that the earlier charge be maintained. There is clear evidence that these people are killers.”
He pleaded with relevant authorities to intervene in the matter to ensure that justice is served accordingly, saying one of those who supervised his torture in Ojodu was being detained in Ikoyi Prison, while a warrant of arrest had been issued for the other two.
He also alleged that one of the suspects had jumped bail about three times.
“I got wind of moves by some influential persons to kill the case. I plead that relevant authorities should intervene and not let me suffer in vain. I have suffered several health challenges after the incident and that I’m still alive today is divine. I can’t recall the series of tests I have run and the amount of money I spent on sick bed. I just started regaining the use of my right ear,” he lamented.
Meanwhile, the matter was heard in court on Monday, May 15. After emergence of more facts, which necessitated a review of the earlier advice, the defendants were charged with the offences of grievous harm and deprivation of liberty punishable under the magistrate’s court law.
The first defendant’s bail term was reviewed and was ordered to be remanded until perfection of bail.
The second defendant is still at large, while the case was adjourned to June 2 for mention.