Another set of five persons have been arrested and
charged before a Kogi Chief Magistrates’ Court in
connection with the kidnap of Justice Samuel
Obayomi of the Kogi High Court.
Chief Magistrate Alhassan Husaini, who heard and
ruled on the matter on Friday, adjourned further
proceedings to October 29, for mention.
He also ordered the remand of the suspects in the
custody of the Department of State Service in the
state pending the hearing.
The five accused are Muktar Zubairu, Abdul Momoh,
Kabiru Shuaibu, Enesi Jamiu and Abubakar Lawal.
They were charged with criminal conspiracy, culpable
homicide and kidnapping, contrary to sections 97(1)
and 221 of the Penal Code and Section of 3 of Kogi
State law on kidnapping.
The prosecuting counsel, Mohammed Abaji, during
proceeding told the court that the accused were
being arraigned for their involvement in the
kidnapping of the judge on May 25, at Ebogogo in
Adavi local government area of the state.
Abaji told the court that they committed the act while
armed with guns and other dangerous weapons, and
that in the process, they also killed his police orderly,
Corporal Musa Usman.
He submitted that Obayomi was later released on
June 27 after a ransom was paid.
Abaji said the five accused were arrested between
June 26 and July 2 by a joint task force of the Military
and DSS in Edo state, and N2.9m believed to be part
of the ransom money recovered from them.
Abaji told the court that two Nissan Almera cars and
one Volkswagen Golf wagon with registration number
YAB 718 EW were also recovered from the accused.
The five accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the
three count and claimed that they knew nothing
about the kidnapping, expressing surprise over their
arrest and detention.
In his ruling, the Chief Magistrate ordered their
remand in DSS custody and adjourned to October 29,
for mention.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that 72-year-old
Ahmed Adoke and John Sule, 41, Mechanic, were
earlier arraigned for the same offence and remanded
in Medium Security Federal Prisons, Koton-Karfe.
