From Godwin Tsa, Abuja

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A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday ordered five men allegedly involved in the abduction of pupils of the Nigerian Tulip School, Isheri, Ogun State, and kidnapping of other victims to be remanded in Kuje Prisons, Abuja, pending the conclusion of trial.
The defendants, Bekewei Agbojule (aka Asari), Egbasimokumo Ayeomi (aka Effiong), Godspower Olopele, Toki Okuba and Super Allen Baye (aka Yanga), were yesterday arraigned before Justice John Tsoho in Abuja after Tuesday’s attempt to arraign them was put off due to the absence of an interpreter in court.
Three of the defendants, Agbojule, Ayeomi and Baye, are from tge Ijaw community of Arogbo town in the riverine area of Ondo State, while the two others, Olopele and Okuba, are residents of Ikorodu, Lagos State, and Isheri in Ogun State, respectively.
The defendants, who were not represented by counsel during the arraignment, pleaded not guilty to the five-count charge. The prosecution counsel, Aminu Aliyu, from the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, told the court that in the light of the plea, the court should give a date for the prosecution to call for witnesses.
In a brief ruling, Justice Tsoho ordered the defendants to be remanded in Kuje Prisons, pending the trial. He adjourned trial till September 28, 2017, as he explained to the defendants through an interpreter that the long adjournment was due to courts’ long vacation, which begins next month.
According to the charge, the defendants demanded and collected N50 million ransom from the families of pupils and staff members of a school whom they abducted on January 13, 2017, and another six victims along Ikorodu Expressway, Lagos, on December 16, 2016.
The prosecution alleged that the offence of conspiracy to commit hostage-taking was an act of terrorism, contrary to section 17 of Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act, 2013, and punishable under the same section of the Act.
Other offences of seizing, hostage-taking and demanding ransom were also acts of terrorism, contrary to 15 (1) of Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act, and punishable under the same section of the Act.