The prosecuting counsel in the case of kidnapping of Justice Samuel Obayomi of the Kogi High Court, Mohammed Abaji has told the court how the sum of N2.9 Million believed to be part of the money paid for the release of the judge was recovered from five accused persons in the case.
He told the Chief Magistrate court that the five accused were arrested between June 26 and July 2 by a joint task force of the Military and DSS in Edo state after which such amount was recovered from them.
The five accused are Muktar Zubairu, Abdul Momoh, Kabiru Shuaibu, Enesi Jamiu and Abubakar Lawal. They were charged with criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide and kidnapping, contrary to sections 97(1) and 221 of the Penal Code and Section of 3 of Kogi State law on kidnapping.
The lawyer further told the court that the accused were being arraigned for their involvement in the kidnapping of the judge on May 25, at Ebogogo in Adavi local government area of the state.
Abaji told the court that they committed the act while armed with guns and other dangerous weapons, and that in the process, they also killed his police orderly, Corporal Musa Usman.
He submitted that Obayomi was later released on June 27 after a ransom was paid.
Abaji told the court that two Nissan Almera cars and one Volkswagen Golf wagon with registration number YAB 718 EW were also recovered from the accused.
The Chief Magistrate, Alhassan Husaini, who heard and ruled on the matter today, adjourned further proceedings to October 29, for mention.
He also ordered the remand of the suspects in the custody of the Department of State Service in the state pending the hearing.
Meanwhile the five accused have pleaded not guilty to the three count and claimed that they knew nothing about the kidnapping, expressing surprise over their arrest and detention.
Earlier, the 72-year-old Ahmed Adoke and John Sule, 41, Mechanic, were arraigned for the same offence and remanded in Medium Security Federal Prisons, Koton-Karfe. [myad]
