Sarkin Fulani and 2 others bag life imprisonment for kidnapping in Kwara

The Sarkin Fulani of Kwara State, Alh Usman Adamu, his brother, and one Gidado Idris have bagged life imprisonment for conspiracy to kidnap and kidnapping.

The Fulani leader and the two others were convicted on Thursday, by a Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin, the state capital.

The convicts were accused of kidnapping one Abubakar Ahmad and allegedly collected a ransom of N1 million before his eventual release after spending 20 days in captivity.

The kidnapping incident happened in the middle of 2022.

Kwara State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Idowu Ayoola brought the three defendants before the court for alleged conspiracy to kidnap and kidnapping itself.

In her judgment, Justice Adenike Akinpelu said that the trio were all in agreement to commit a crime, adding that whether they were physically present at the kidnapping scene was immaterial.

She said that the convicts “supposedly arrested their victim, claiming that he was a kidnapping suspect to extort money from him.

The judge added, ” I am not persuaded by the submissions of counsel to defendants counsel to dismiss the two-count charge against them based on the fact that they were not at the scene of the incident.”

Justice Akinpelu lamented that “it is saddening and disturbing that community leaders charged with the welfare of their subjects could, because of the love of money, breach the security of the same subjects. They are hereby found guilty as charged and are so convicted.”

After listening to the convicts allocutus plea, the judge said that, “by Section 15 of the Lead State Anti-Kidnapping Law, the court cannot exercise any discretion of leniency, so you are hereby sentenced to life imprisonment. The sentence is to run concurrently.”

In a related development, a 39-year-old man, Mahmud Danladi, was arraigned on Thursday in a Kaduna chief magistrates’ court for allegedly stealing a car worth N6.8 million.

Mr Danladi, who resides at Gobarau Street, along Yakowa Way in Kaduna, is facing one count charge of stealing.

The Prosecutor, Inspector. Chidi Leo, told the court that the defendant committed the offence at Millennium City Kaduna, on Nov. 15.

According to Mr Leo, on the same date at about 5:00p.m, the defendant dubiously made away with the complainant’s Rav 4 Toyota car valued at N6.8m from where it was parked.

He stated that the defendant tried to escape with the said car but was chased by good Samaritans and apprehended.

Mr Leo said that the car belonging to one Alhaji Farouk Sanusi, was recovered from the accused person.

The prosecution said the offence contravened Section 217 of the Penal Code of Kaduna State, 2017.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Magistrate, Ibrahim Emmanuel, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000 with one surety in like sum.

Mr Emmanuel ordered that the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and produce means of identification.

He adjourned the matter until December 20, for hearing.

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