Court orders remand of 4 men over kidnapping

A Makurdi Chief Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday ordered the remand of four businessmen in Makurdi, Benue State, identified as Teryima Achoho, Solomon Iorver, Aondohemba Alu and Samuel Achoho at the Correctional Services Centre, Makurdi, for kidnapping one Mrs. Magdalene Anor.

The businessmen, who are resident in Makurdi Local Government Area, were charged with criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping and acts of terrorism.

The Magistrate, Mr Vincent Kor, did not take the plea of the defendants for want of jurisdiction.

Kor adjourned the case to October 27 for further mention.

The Prosecutor, Inspector Godwin Ato, told the court that the case was reported by the husband of the victim, Alhaji Songo Anor, at the Operation Zenda Joint Task Force, Makurdi on November 12, 2021.

Ato said the victim’s husband reported that on Novemebr 7, 2021, gunmen numbering about four invaded his residence at Nyon Layout, Makurdi, robbed his wife of an undisclosed amount of money and kidnapped her to an unknown destination.

The complainant stated that the men held his wife hostage for nine days and collected a ransom of N3 million before releasing her.

Ato told the court that the men were arrested during a police investigation and they confessed to committing the crime.

The prosecutor argued that the offence contravenes the provisions of the Robbery and Firearms Act, 2004 and the Hostage Taking, Kidnapping, Secret Cult and Similar Activities Prohibition Laws of Benue State, 2017.