The Directorate of State Service (DSS) on Monday arraigned nine persons charged with various acts of kidnapping or attempted kidnapping around Adamawa State.
According to the six-count charge read to the accused at the High Court 1 in the state capital, Yola, the nine persons took part in five separate kidnap cases, including two which yielded ransom to them, and one case of cattle theft.
The nine persons as named in court on Monday include Yusuf Abubakar, Yahaya Sani, Umar Jalo, Abdullahi Ibrahim, Ishaku Umar, Muhammed Adamu, Muhammed Abdullahi, Bala Sani and Rufai Ahmadu.
Five of the lot: Yusuf Abubakar, Rufai Ahmadu, Bala Sani, Muhammed Adamu, and Abdullahi Ibrahim are charged with having kidnapped one Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim from his house at Shagari Quarters in Yola South local government area, on December 26, 2019, and collected N1, 650,000 as ransom.
Yusuf Abubakar, Rufai Ahmadu, Bala Sani, and Umar Jalo are charged with kidnapping one Dr. Kawiyo Abdurahman from his Lakare residence in Yola South last month, January 5, and collecting a ransom of N1,450,000.
The nine were mentioned variously in four other cases: three attempted kidnap cases and a case of theft of cows in Mayo Belwa, in the Mayo Belwa local government area.
While seven of the accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges against them, two pleaded guilty to most of the charges.
In particular, Rufai Ahmadu caused enmity between himself and his co-accused when he pleaded guilty to five charges of kidnapping or attempted kidnapping and insisted on each charge that all those pleading not guilty were lying.
“You people should stop lying. We were all a part of this,” he would tell them.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the case of stealing of cows in Mayo Belwa. “I know nothing about that,” he said when the charge was mentioned.
After listening to the charges read out and the accused responding as they would, the presiding judge of the High Court 1, Justice Nathan Musa, adjourned to February 25 for a continuation of hearing.
He asked that the seven of the accused be returned to detention at a correctional center in Yola, while the two suspects who pleaded guilty, should be separated and taken to DSS custody pending the February 25 adjourned date.
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