Taraba CJ sentences two to death for kidnapping

Taraba state chief judge, Justice Joel Agya, on Friday, sentenced one Yusufa Adamu and Adamu Abdullahi to death by hanging for kidnapping Balkisu Kambe and Maryam Musa in Gashaka Local Government area of the State.

Agya, who delivered the judgment at the Taraba High Court 1 in Jalingo said the prosecution counsel has proved beyond reasonable doubt that the duo committed the crime in 2019.

He also found them guilty on the charges of criminal conspiracy and illegal possession of firearms, and he sentenced each of them to 10 years without the option of a fine for each of the offences making it 20 years each.

The judge explained that the sentence on criminal conspiracy and illegal possession of firearms would take effect from 2019 when they were arrested and detained.

According to him, the defendants had made confessional statements individually about the kidnapping of Balkisu Kambe at Angwan America in Baruwa on Sept 29, 2019, and that of Maryam Musa on Sept 2, 2019, at Serti and others in Gashaka Local Government area where they collected ransom.

He noted that one of the victims, Kambe identified the defendants as members of the gang that abducted her in her house when they could not find her husband in his room on that day, saying they unmasked themselves when they took her to the bush for two days before her husband sent them N1,000,000 ransom.

“Based on Section Three, paragraph eight of the Kidnapping and Abduction Law of Taraba 2019, I hereby sentence you to death by hanging on the neck, may God have mercy on your souls.

“You however, have the right to apply to the Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy to for the sentence to be committed to life imprisonment especially since no life was lost in the process of kidnapping,” he said.

Mr Samson Gimba, the Prosecution counsel hailed the judgement as sound and commendable.

Mr Mahanar Puki, counsel to the defendants had pleaded for mercy when the guilty verdict was pronounced before the judge passed the sentence.

Puki had told the court that the convicts were first-time offenders and had shown remorse throughout the period of trial and should be shown some mercy.