A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a kidnap kingpin, Hamisu Bala, also known as Wadume, and two others to seven years’ imprisonment.
Justice Binta Nyako convicted Wadume of two of the 13-count charges against him and two others.
The court also convicted Aliyu Dadje, a police inspector who was the station officer at the police headquarters in Ibi Local Government Area, Taraba State, to three years’ imprisonment for tampering with records to conceal a crime.
Besides Wadume and Dadje, others charged with them are Auwalu Bala (aka Omo Razor), Uba Bala (aka Uba Delu), Bashir Waziri (aka Baba Runs), Zubairu Abdullahi (aka Basho) and Rayyanu Abdul.
The judge also sentenced Delu, Abdullahi, and Abdul to seven years’ imprisonment, while she discharged and acquitted Omo Razor and Baba Runs due to a lack of evidence.
Justice Nyako’s judgement was delivered on July 22 and made available to journalists on Sunday.
The Attorney General of the Federation arraigned Wadume and others with charges of kidnapping, murder, terrorism and illegal arms.
The charges followed the killing of three police officers and two civilians on August 6, 2019, by some soldiers.
The policemen, who were from the Intelligence Response Team, Abuja, had arrested Wadume at Ibi before they were ambushed on the road by the military men.
Ten military officers earlier charged with the convicts, whose trials were separated for departmental reasons, are Captain Tijjani Balarabe; Staff Sgt David Isaiah; Sgt Ibrahim Mohammed; Corporal Bartholomew Obanye; Private Mohammed Nura; Lance Corporal Okorozie Gideon; Corporal Marcus Michael; Lance Corporal Nvenaweimoeimi Akpagra; Staff Sgt Abdulahi Adamu and Private Ebele Emmanuel.
