Court remands 4 herdsmen who allegedly demanded N30 million ransom for kidnapping

Labake IDOWU

A chief magistrate court sitting in Iyaganku in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital on Tuesday ordered that four herdsmen be remanded for alleged kidnapping

The herdsmen, Ibrahim Ahmadu, 20, Mohammadu Dariya, 28, Shehu Usman, 23, and Abubakar Siddi, 25, were accused of conspiracy, kidnapping, and demanding ransom.

Chief Magistrate Olaide Hamzat did not take their plea, stating that the court lack jurisdiction over the matter. He ordered that the suspects be remanded in Abolongo Correctional facility, Oyo, Town.

Hamzat then directed the police to return the case file to the Oyo State Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice.

The Prosecution Counsel, Inspector Opeyemi Olagunju, told the court that the suspects and others at large kidnapped one Abubakar Shehu at about 1am on the 7th of July 2021 from his Father’s camp for the purpose of collecting ransom.

He said the suspects demanded N30 million ransom from the victim’s father, Shehu Umaru adding that the offence contravened the provisions of section 3 (1) (2) and punishable under section 4 (2), 10 of the Oyo State Kidnapping ( Prohibition ) Law 2016.

The case was adjourned to October 25, 2021 for mention.