The Nigerian police, on Thursday, arraigned a 23-year-old man, Ibrahim Aboubakar, for allegedly kidnapping and killing a cleric, Nicholas Alfa, and one other man, Elijah Nweke, in Abuja.
Mr Abubakar was arraigned earlier than trial decide Salim Ibrahim of the Federal High Court in Abuja on six counts, together with unlawful possession of firearms and hostage-taking ensuing within the loss of life of victims.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) experiences that Mr Abubakar and a co-defendant, Abubakar Shuaibu, have been named as defendants, however Mr Shuaibu’s identify was later deleted from the case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/618/2026.
Prosecution counsel Dabo Yakubu utilized to take away Mr Shuaibu’s identify as a defendant, a request defence counsel Enyisal Lawrence didn’t oppose.
Shortly after the case was known as, Mr Yakubu, a lawyer from the Inspector General of the Police Special Tactical Squad, knowledgeable the courtroom that he had an software pursuant to Section 216 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.
He instructed the decide that Mr Shuaibu, who was listed as the primary defendant, died at Asokoro General Hospital from an undisclosed sickness.
The lawyer, due to this fact, utilized that the deceased’s identify be deleted from the cost in order that Abubakar may take his plea.
Judge Ibrahim then struck out Mr Shuaibu’s identify from the cost.
After the six counts have been learn to Mr Abubakar, he pleaded not responsible to the fees.
The prosecution lawyer then utilized for a trial date and the decide adjourned the matter till November 26 November at 11 a.m. for the graduation of trial.
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The police alleged that on 16 May at Gbagalape in Nyanya, Mr Shuaibu, 22, Mr Abubakar, 23, and others stated to be at giant, armed themselves with weapons and different harmful weapons, conspired and kidnapped Mr Nweke and Mr Alfa for ransom.
They have been additional alleged to have taken the victims to the Gbagalape Forest the place they negotiated with their households forf N8 million ransom.
The offence, the police stated, is punishable underneath sections of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
(NAN)
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