South African national jailed for 40 years over kidnap

The Court of Appeal has sentenced a South African national, Joachim Ugochukwu Onyeako to 40 years’ imprisonment for offences of kidnapping with intent to confine and to demand for a ransom.

In a unanimous judgement, the three member panel of the Appeal Court held that they take cognizance of the fact that these offences were planned by international criminals who included Onyeako.

Deputy Chief Justice Richard Buteera and Justices Christopher Gashirabake as well as Oscar John Kihika sentenced Mr Onyeako to 30 years for kidnapping with intent to confine a person and 10 years for kidnapping with intent to obtain a ransom.

The judges directed that the two punishments shall run consecutively, with effect from November 16, 2021, the date of conviction after eight years remand period is deducted.

“The Appellant and his accomplices propagated a crime that required the victims to incur high travel costs to Uganda. The Appellant rented a house, hired vehicles and recruited 'staff' to perpetuate the offence. The Appellant and his accomplices were arrested in the course of committing a similar offence. That shows that they are not ordinary criminals,” the judges held.

The Court reasoned that by executing those crimes in Uganda, the convict put the country into great disrepute.

“That does not only reflect Uganda as an unsafe place, but it compromises our tourism sector. This court is duty bound to protect this natural resource. There is therefore a need to pass a sentence that will deter this kind of sophisticated crime,” the judges held.

In November 2021, Onyeako was indicted and convicted of the offences of kidnapping with intent to confine a person and kidnapping with intent to obtain a ransom before he was sentenced to 17 years imprisonment. He had appealed against the trial, the conviction and the 17 year jail punishment.

Court records show that on July 21, 2013, Mr Ross Robert James, the victim, received an email interesting him in an investment opportunity of assisting a one Ms Ford relocate her family fortune of $20 million from Zimbabwe to Australia.

Court heard that several communications followed after the July 21, 2O13 email and the victim exchanged telephone contacts with the author of the first email. Other mails were received from one Michael Oweni, the "attorney" of Ms Luciana Ford

“After numerous communications, Micheal Oweni, invited the victim to Uganda to seal the deal with Ms Luciana Ford because Zimbabwe was not safe. The victim made arrangements to travel to Uganda and was assured by the said Attorney that arrangements had been made for his pickup from Entebbe airport to the Sheraton hotel Kampala where the two would briefly meet before meeting with Ms Luciana Ford, the would be partner. The victim was also informed that reservation for accommodation had been made at the Sheraton Hotel,” reads the court record.

According to court, on arrival at Entebbe Airport, the victim was received by David Onyedeke who ushered him to a car and instead drove him to a homestead in Seguku where the victim was ordered out and ushered into the house with his luggage.

It is said that upon arrival, they met Onyaeko and Sam Iyke who commanded the victim to sit down and forget about going to the Sheraton Hotel to meet Michael and that upon realizing that he was in danger, the victim complied.

“A file folder was presented before the victim by one Sunday Obiora and on opening it, read that he was held as a hostage and would continue to be held unless his people released 650,000 Euros which had to be transported to Uganda by courier and packed in their luggage,” reads the court record.

Onyaeko was jointly arrested and charged with David Onyekede, Obiora Sunday and Ndugga Kalist Sempala who pleaded guilty to the offences and they were jailed.

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