Pascal Arogorn Ibe
A commercial motorcyclist in Zaria, Kaduna state who threatened to kidnap an Igbo businessman has been sentenced to 14 years in jail by a magistrate court.
The convict, Bashir Adamu, 25, a resident of Sadauki Road in Wusasa Zaria was charged for threat to life and attempted kidnapping.
The Chief Magistrate, Hajiya Zainab Garba, in her ruling said the sentence was in pursuant to section 247 (3) of the Penal Code Law.
The Magistrate’s Court at Zaria City, Kaduna State, gave no option of fine to the convict.
Inspector Abdullahi Sarki who was the prosecuting officer said that Bashir Adamu ,” a mason and commercial motorcyclist “, was arraigned on charges bordering on threat to life and attempt to commit kidnapping contrary to section 247 of the Penal Code.
He explained that on Oct. 12, 2020 at about 20.00hrs ,one Kenneth Chinanuife, a businessman of No. 11 Park Road Sabon Gari Zaria came to the Federal Intelligence Bureau, Intelligence Response Team Base of Puff Adder at Rigachikun Kaduna.
” Chinanuife reported that on Oct. 8, 2020 he received a call from a GSM number threatening to kidnap him if he did not provide One Million Naira. That the caller told him that he is a member of a syndicate that kidnapped people at Wusasa, Zaria. Our detectives traced and arrested Adamu in the process of collecting the ransom and N108, 000 was recovered from him and it contradicts section 247 (3) of the Kaduna state Laws 2017.”
Badhir Adamu accepted the charges and pleaded guilty before the court.
The prosecutor applied for summary trial under section 367 (3) of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA since the defendant had pleaded guilty to the charges. Bashir Adamu did not object to the application but only pleaded for leniency and mercy.
Chief Magistrate Garba therefore ruled that since the convict had pleaded for leniency, she should have been lenient since he was a first time offender but her hands were tight as to the punishment provided for the offence.
“We should allow the law to take effect coupled with the fact the offence was rampant in the society and the punishment would serve as deterrent to others. I hereby sentence you to 14 years imprisonment without option of fine pursuant to Section 247 (3) of the penal code and you have right of appeal within 30 days,’’ she said.
Bashir Adamu and 25 others were recently, paraded by the police connection with kidnapping, armed robbery, murder ,cattle rustling and other related crimes.
Adamu had confessed to journalists that he had worked Mr. Chinanuife who sells paints and other building materials in the ancient city.
According to the convict,” the motorcycle is my own but I wanted to buy a new motorcycle and as a mason, I have not been getting work regularly.”
On his part, Mr. Chinanuife, expressed satisfaction over the ruling and commended the police for the expertise and professionalism on this case.
“I wanted to appeal to the magistrate on the sentence because he know Bashir, he is my neighbor at Wusasa, Zaria and I pity him but there is nothing I can do to reduce what the law has stipulated,” he said.
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