A Jimeta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Yola, Adamawa State on Friday ordered the remand of six men for alleged kidnapping.
The six suspects were also accused of collecting N2 million ransom from the relatives of their victim.
The defendants are: Jido Saleh, 30; Babaji Ibrahim, 34; Umaru Saleh, 28; Mohammed Buba, 29; Ndajo Ali, 30; and Garba Manu, 26, all of Kojoli Village, Jaba Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
The six defendants are standing trial on a two-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and kidnapping before Chief Magistrate Musa Adamu.
The defendants, however, pleaded guilty to the charge.
The suspects in their respective oral statements confessed to the crime, saying: “We are truly kidnappers, we conspired among ourselves and kidnapped one Kenneth from Kojoli.
“We took him to an unknown destination and collected a ransom of N2 million from his relatives, before we released him.”
Adamu ordered that the defendants be remanded at the correctional centre until February 29 for further investigation into the matter by the police.
“This case has been adjourned to February 29 to enable the police finish their investigation and to forward the case file to the Department of Public Prosecution for legal advice,” the Chief Magistrate said.
Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Sergeant Umar Abdullahi, told the court that a credible and reliable intelligence was received by the police on February 5 at about 9pm.
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Abdullahi said the information was about the violent crimes and kidnapping activities happening within Jada LGA and its environment.
According to the prosecutor, on receipt of the information, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force attached to Crack Squad, Yola swung into action.
He said that the team collaborated with the vigilante group of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Jada chapter, to arrest the defendants.
Abdullahi said that during police investigation, all suspects confessed to the crime, adding that the offence contravenes sections 60 and 248 of the penal code law of the Adamawa State, 2018.
He further prayed the court for a date to finish investigation and to forward the case file to DPP for legal advice.
The Chief Magistrate granted the application and ordered that the suspects be remanded in a correctional centre until the next adjourned date.
