A Makurdi Chief Magistrates Court on Tuesday remanded five Fulani herdsmen at the correctional centre in Makurdi for alleged kidnapping, criminal conspiracy and other crimes.
The five suspects, Saleh Hassan, Yakubu Kanje, Inusa Idris, Yusuf Ibrahim, and Yahuza Idris, who reside in the Keana and Awe local government areas of Nasarawa State, were also docked for alleged acts of terrorism and culpable homicide.
When the case was called, the prosecuting officer, Inspector Jonah Uletu, reading from the First Information Report, told the court that the police in Otukpo Local Government Area, led by CSP Terfa Njoghul, arrested the suspects following a report from one Silas Onyilo on June 13, 2024, about armed Fulani men dressed in army uniform.
The prosecution further alleged that the accused persons blocked Otukpo Federal Highway at Ojano Village of Ohimini Local Government Area, robbed passengers of two Benue Links commercial buses of their phones, money and other valuables at gunpoint, shot and killed on the spot one of the drivers, Gabriel Okpale, and moved over 20 passengers to Oglewu forest, where they held them hostage, raped one female passenger and collected a ransom of N18 million before releasing the victims.
According to the prosecution, the arrested suspects were identified by their victims and they confessed to committing the crimes, while others are still at large.
Uletu said the suspects’ actions contravened sections 6(b) and 1(1) (2) (a)(b) of the Robbery and Firearms Special Provisions Acts 2024, sections 3(1) and 4(2) of the Abduction, Hostage Taking, Kidnapping, Cult and Similar Activities Prohibition Law of Benue State 2017, and sections 284 and 222 of the Penal Code Law of Benue State 2004.
The chief magistrate, Kelvin Mbanongun, who did not take their plea for want of jurisdiction, adjourned the matter until September 3, 2024, for the Director of Public Prosecutions’ advice.