Musician Joey AK convicted in kidnapping; Co-defendant Bigidagoe killed in February

The District Court in Amsterdam convicted 27-year-old Joël H, better known by his stage name Joey AK, for his role in the 2022 kidnapping of fellow rap musician Kobus L. He was sentenced to four years in prison on Friday. The court also terminated the criminal case against co-defendant Danzel Silos because of his sudden death. The 26-year-old rap musician, better known by the name Bigidagoe, was shot dead in Amsterdam on February 25.

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) had recommended a four-year prison term for Silos. Prosecutors recommended a stricter seven year prison term for H., who is from Purmerend, but the court handed him a lower punishment as it believed he he was only involved at the start of the kidnapping. The OM recommended sentences of four to six years for the other suspects in the case, who were given jail sentences of 26 to 42 months.

The court described the fatal shooting of Silos as, “Horrible news for his relatives and friends, some of them being the suspects.” The judge who chaired the hearing gave the suspects his condolences for their loss. Dutch law calls for a halt to prosecution upon the defendant's death. A suspect in that case was arrested in Paris while trying to catch a flight to South America.

The kidnapping occurred on September 3, 2022. The suspects allegedly led Kobus L. to an industrial estate in Duivendrecht. Upon arrival, the victim was forced into the back of a van. A few of the suspects drove him around for hours while assaulting, threatening, and humiliating the victim. The man eventually managed to get away. “The victim feared for his life,” the court said. The man was hit and kicked a few times during his escape by some of the suspects. A bystander prevented the violence from continuing.

The court said it believes H. played a leading role in the kidnapping. He allegedly had a conflict with Kobus L. It is unclear what that conflict was about. The court blamed H. for involving others in the feud. The suspects are part of the rap music group Zone 6 from Amsterdam-Zuidoost.

Kobus L. ran into members of the group in the Bijenkorf in Amsterdam 12 days after the kidnapping and was assaulted again. The court sentenced one of the suspects for that incident.

Kobus L. was also assaulted by H. and a fellow suspect years before the kidnapping. The incident occurred in 2019 and resulted in H. stealing the victim’s bag. The court also proved that fact.