{"id":3797,"date":"2013-05-17T15:24:55","date_gmt":"2013-05-17T15:24:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disnaija.com\/nigeria-news\/i-did-not-plan-my-kidnap-says-lagos-businessman\/"},"modified":"2013-05-17T15:24:55","modified_gmt":"2013-05-17T15:24:55","slug":"i-did-not-plan-my-kidnap-says-lagos-businessman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disnaija.com\/i-did-not-plan-my-kidnap-says-lagos-businessman\/","title":{"rendered":"I Did Not Plan My Kidnap, Says Lagos Businessman"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A Nigerian businessman, Ayodele Olaoye, on Friday told a Lagos High Court that he did not plot and execute his own kidnap, to extort his parents.<\/p>\n

Olaoye made the denial while testifying at the trial of seven persons accused of kidnapping him before Justice Olabisi Akinlade of an Ikeja High Court.<\/p>\n

The accused are: Esther Phillips, 23; Patricia Nna, 26; Kingsley Okonwa, 24; Osita Adigwe, 35; Uzochukwu Ezioha, 25; Jude Sunday, 36; and Michael Olarenwaju, 31.<\/p>\n

The accused, including two women, were arraigned on March 5.<\/p>\n

They are facing a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, armed robbery and kidnapping.<\/p>\n

They, however, pleaded not guilty and were remanded in prison custody.<\/p>\n

Olaoye had on Thursday told the court how Phillips, who he described as “a friend”, conspired with the others to kidnap him on April 22, 2012 in Lagos.<\/p>\n

He claimed that the kidnappers collected a N5 million ransom from his parents before he managed to escape from their hideout on the fourth day.<\/p>\n

Speaking under cross-examination on Friday by counsel to the accused, Mr Abali Abali and Mr F.C. Mbagwu, Olaoye insisted that he had no hand in the kidnapping.<\/p>\n

The witness said he trusted the first accused (Phillips) whom he claimed to have met at Pegas Club in Opebi, Ikeja in February 2012.<\/p>\n

Olaoye, who denied that Esther was his girlfriend, however, admitted that they had an amorous relationship.<\/p>\n

“On the day that I was kidnapped, the third accused (Okonwa) took my phone and called my mother demanding 400,000 dollars.<\/p>\n

“He also called my father and told them that I was in his cage.<\/p>\n

“My parents were out of the country on that day but my father, Mr Segun Olaoye, returned two days later and paid some money to them.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

The witness further told the court that he was beaten by the accused, in order to convince his parents to pay the ransom.<\/p>\n

Olaoye said it was while they were sharing the money that he was able to sneak outside from where he was held.<\/p>\n

The case had been adjourned till June 7, for continuation of trial.<\/p>\n

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