Two Men Get 13 Year in Jail for Kidnapping Teachers

ADDIS ABABA – A district court in West Gondar Zone of Amhara region sentenced two men to 13 years in prison for kidnapping two women teachers.

Maleda Abuhay and Solomon Eshete held the teachers to ransom together with three other accomplices who are still at large, said a spokesperson of the district court speaking to Ethiopian News agency.

Maleda and Solomon are said to have abducted the women, who work as teachers at the Kumer primary school in Metema District, from their home on the night of February 16, 2022.

The following day, the kidnappers demanded 900,000 birr ransom payments from the victim’s family for their release. They finally released the victims three days later after collecting 190, 000 birr.

The spokesperson said police captured the two of the five kidnappers a week later in Genda-Wuha Town along with 180,00 of the ransom money while trying to flee the district.

A court in Metema district found both Maleda and Abuhay guilty after both were indicted on kidnapping charges.

In its session on Thursday, the court sentenced the two men to 13 years in prison, and ordered the police to capture the remaining three who were involved in the kidnapping, and face justice for their crime.