Court of Appeal reduces sentence for dethroned Shangisha ruler

The Court of Appeal in Lagos Division has confirmed the conviction of Mutiu Ogundare, the deposed traditional ruler of Shangisha in Magodo, for staging his own kidnapping. However, the court has reduced his sentence from 15 years to 12 years.

Originally, Justice Hakeem Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja had sentenced Ogundare to 15 years in prison on September 27, 2022. The Lagos State government had charged him with three counts: breach of peace and orchestrating a fake kidnapping.

Alongside Ogundare, his wife, Abolanle, and his brother, Opeyemi Mohammed, were also charged. The lower court acquitted Abolanle, while Ogundare and Mohammed were found guilty.

Unsatisfied with this outcome, Ogundare appealed. On Monday, lead Justice Peter Bassi upheld the lower court’s decisions on the first two counts but overturned the conviction on the third count. Justices Bayero and Folashade Ojo concurred with Justice Bassi’s judgment.

Justice Bassi stated that Ogundare’s appeal was partially successful, leading to a reduced sentence of 12 years. Ogundare will serve 10 years for the first count and two years for the second count. The sentence for the third count, involving false representation to secure the release of a kidnapped person, was overturned.

Ogundare was initially detained on July 16, 2017, at Kirikiri Correctional Centre by an Ogba Magistrates’ Court for the alleged fake kidnapping. The state contended that the offenses occurred on July 5, 2017, along the Centre for Management Development Road in the Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area, asserting that Ogundare staged the abduction to blackmail the state government.