Court remands engineer for alleged kidnap

(Nigeria) A 37-year-old engineer, Bashir Lawal, was on Monday remanded at Federal  Prison, Idah, Kogi, by a Lokoja Senior Magistrate Court over alleged kidnap of a retired police officer, Mr Sule Amichi.

Senior Magistrate Rachael Omajali gave the order in Lokoja on arraignment of Lawal, of Igala-Ogba, Idah, who was alleged to have led 11 others to kidnap the retired police officer.

According to Mr Friday Shaibu, the Prosecuting Police Officer, Amichi, of behind Federal Polytechnic, Idah, on February 5, reported the matter to the Divisional Police Headquarters in Idah and the state CID, Lokoja.

He said Amichi and his driver, Abraham Ocheje, were, at 11 a.m. same day, on their way from Lokoja to Idah in a Toyota Camry car.

He said the duo, with the car, marked KOGI: NDG 104 AA on Anyigba-Ojodu road, were double-crossed by the accused and his alleged gang.

The assailants, the police officer said, numbering about 11 and armed with dangerous weapons, including Barretta pistols, drove in a Volkswagen Sharon mini-bus marked KOGI: LKJ 315 AE.

After they successfully double-crossed and halted the victim’s car, the assailants were said to have dragged them out and pushed them into the Volkswagen Sharon bus.

He said they then drove into the bush around Ogbolema village on the outskirts of Idah.

According to him, Amichi and his driver were alleged to have been subjected to torture and forcefully robbed of N80,000 at gun-point.

He said that the video recording of their kidnap was allegedly sent to family members and friends of the victims, but were released at 6.40 p.m.

Lawal was charged with criminal conspiracy, criminal force, criminal intimidation, and armed robbery.

Shaibu said the offences ran contrary to sections 97 (1), 265, 379, 298 of the Penal Code Law and sections 3(1)(b) of Kogi State Kidnapping, Thuggery and other related offences (prohibition) Law, 2010.

The prosecuting officer applied for another date for further mention of the case, saying that investigation was ongoing.

He objected to granting of bail to the accused on the ground that the offences were heinous, grievous and not bailable.

Counsel to the accused S.A. Abbas applied for bail of the accused in line with sections 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended and Section 341(2) (3) of the Criminal Procedure Code, CPC.

Omajali, in her ruling, refused the bail application “due to the severity of punishment in the event of conviction of the accused,” and ordered that the accused be remanded at Federal Prisons, Idah.

She further ordered that the case be transferred to Chief Magistrates' Court, Idah, and adjourned the case to March 4 for further mention.