A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Makurdi, Benue, has ordered the remand of one Jibrin Abubakar, 31, over the alleged kidnapping of a 13-year-old child, Miss Blessing Agwa.
Abubakar, whose residential address was not provided, is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and kidnapping.
However, when the case came up for mention, the Magistrate, Mrs Kadoom Gbasha, did not take the plea of the defendant for lack of jurisdiction.
Gbasha subsequently remanded the accused at the Federal Maximum Correctional Center Makurdi and adjourned the case to Jan. 21, 2022, for further mention
Earlier, the Police Prosecutor, Insp. Rachael Mchiave, had told the court that the case was transferred from the Divisional Police Headquarters Okpoga to State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Makurdi on Nov. 19.
Mchiave said that one Mr Athanasius Idoko of Ugwu Okpoga Centre, Okpokwu LGA of Benue State, reported that on the Nov. 7, at 6.30a.m, some unknown persons abducted Agwa from her home.
“The kidnappers used the phone numbers 0902711032 and 0902744428 to communicate with the complainant and demanded for N300,000 to be paid into First Bank account number 20334777032, into which N200, 000 was paid.
“While the sum of N100,000 was paid into an Eco Bank “account number 5630034194 as ransom,’’ she said.
The prosecutor said that the Police had earlier during investigation arrested one Samson Sunday, Oche Idoko, and Emmanuel Itodo and arraigned them before a sister court on similar charges.
The court, the prosecutor said, had ordered their remand in prison.
She further explained that one Jibrin Abubakar of Nasarawa, Toto, a suspected accomplice, into whose Ecobank account number, 5630034194, the complaint paid the remaining N100, 000, had been arrested.
Mchiave said the offences contravened sections 97 of the Penal Code Law of Benue State 2004 and 3 (2) of Abduction, Hostage taking, Kidnapping, Secret Cult and Serial Activities Prohibition Law of Benue State 2017. (NAN)
