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Two men have been sentenced to a total of 18 years in prison with hard labour for kidnapping Pastor Mackson Macaulay, the son of the secretary to the Delta State Government,
A Delta State High Court sitting in Asaba sentenced the two kidnappers, Sunday Ugbebo, age 28 and Odioko Omovigho, 31 to 4 years each for the count of conspiracy and 5 years each for kidnapping.
The court presided over by Hon. Justice Cletus Emifoniye, Thursday convicted the defendants who had pleaded guilty to the two charges after almost four years of trial.
The prosecuting counsel for the Delta State Ministry of Justice had told the court that the convicts and another person, now deceased, kidnapped Mackson Macaulay on the 18th of June, 2012 at Owhelogbo, Isoko North Local Government Area where he had gone to visit his uncle.
The kidnappers who were armed with AK47 rifle had shot sporadically to scare off any resistance, demobilised their victim’s car by shooting the four tyres before whisking him away in their own car to an unknown destination.
He was however released the next day without the payment of any ransom.