Suspected T’di girls kidnapper jailed 36 months for cell break

A 28-year-old Nigerian, Samuel Udoetuk-Wills, accused of kidnapping the three missing girls in Sekondi/Takoradi, has been jailed 36 months for escaping from lawful custody and causing damage to public property.

The Takoradi District Court on Monday handed the sentence to Udoetuk-Wills to bring closure to the case of escaping levelled against him.

Before handing him the sentence, the judge, Mr Michael Ampedu, said the judgment would pave the way for the convict to face the substantive case of kidnapping.

Three counts                                    

Udoetuk-Wills was convicted on three counts of escaping from lawful custody; causing damage to public property and resisting arrest.

On the escaping from lawful custody, the court held the view that there was enough evidence to prove that he (Udoetuk-Wills,) escaped from lawful custody.

On the second count of causing damage to public property, the court held that the suspect, in his own evidence, said he was aided by an outsider with tools and oil to cut the metal bars to escape.

Acquittal

Udoetuk-Wills, was however, acquitted and discharged on the third count of resisting arrest as the police failed to provide enough evidence to warrant his conviction.

He was sentenced to 18 months each on the two counts. Both sentences are to run concurrently.

After his initial arrest last December, Udoetuk-Wills was put before court on December 24, 2018 and remanded in police custody.

He, however, managed to escape on December 30, 2018.

The seven policemen who were on duty at the Takoradi Metropolitan Police Command on the day of the escape were given a 10-day ultimatum to produce the escapee.

Before the expiry of the ultimatum, which was to elapse on January 9, 2019, Udoetuk-Wills was rearrested on January 3, 2019 in an uncompleted building near Kassawodu.