Appeal Court upholds dethroned Magodo Baale’s conviction in case of fake abduction

The deposed Baale of Shangisha in Magodo, Mutiu Ogundare, was found guilty of fabricating his own kidnapping, according to a ruling yesterday by the Court of Appeal Lagos Division.

On September 27, 2022, the deposed Baale was given a 15-year prison sentence by Lagos State High Court Judge Hakeem Oshodi in Ikeja.

Ogundare, who was not happy with the ruling, went to the court to contest the lower court’s ruling.

The main judge of the three-man panel, Justice Peter Bassi, reversed count three while upholding the lower court’s decision in counts one and two.

Justice Bassi said that Ogundare’s appeal succeeds in part and reduced his sentence to 12 years.

The court held,” The Appellant is to serve 10 years imprisonment, for count one and two years for counts two, respectively.”.

On the third count, the court upturned the sentence in respect of false representation to release a kidnapped person.

Other Justices of the panel, Justice Bayero and Folashade Ojo, concurred with the lead judgement.

The convict was first remanded on July 16, 2017, in Kirikiri Prison, by an Ogba Magistrate’s Court, for allegedly faking his own kidnap.

Ogundare was prosecuted alongside his wife, Abolanle and brother, Opeyemi Mohammed.

They were arraigned on three counts bordering on conspiracy, breach of peace and fake kidnapping, preferred against them by the Lagos State government.

Justice Oshodi, on June 15, 2022, convicted Ogundare and his brother Opeyemi Mohammed on three counts bordering on conspiracy and fake abduction.

The court, however, discharged and acquitted Ogundare’s wife,Abolanle saying that she had no link to the offences.