Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF), Abubakar Malami, has dropped the names of 10 soldiers and one police officer in the charge against Taraba kidnapping kingpin Bala Hamiasu (commonly known as “Wadume”).
The suspects were hitherto named in the said charge as accomplices in the alleged crime.
This was contained in an amended charge as announced by the prosecuting counsel, Mr Shuaibu Labaran, before Justice Binta Nyako of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court on Monday.
The office of the AGF had last week took over the case from the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu.
With this development, the number of defendants had been reduced from 20 to seven and the number of counts dropped from 16 to 13.
The soldiers, whose names were removed in the amended charges are listed as: Captain Tijjani Balarabe, Staff Sgt David Isaiah; Sgt Ibrahim Mohammed; Corporal Bartholomew Obanye; Private Mohammed Nura; Lance Corporal Okorozie Gideon; Corporal Markus Michael; L/Corporal Nvenaweimoeimi Akpagra; and Staff Sgt Abdullahi Adamu, and Private Ebele Emmanuel.
Equally struck out from the charge were an Assistant Superintendant of Police (ASP) Aondona Iorbee and one Ahmad Suleiman (aka Dan Ball).
There was no opposition to this amendment from the defence team.
Consequently, the amended 13 counts were read to the remaining seven defendants, who entered a plea of not guilty to the charges.
Those arraigned were Inspector Aliyu Dadje, who was a station officer at police headquarters in Ibi Local Government Area of Taraba State, Wadume, Auwalu Bala, aka Omo Razor, Uba Bala (aka Uba Belu); Bashir Waziri, (aka Baba runs); Zubairu Abdullahi (aka Basho); Hafizu Bala (aka Maiwelder); and Rayyanu Abdul.
Meanwhile, Justice Nyako has adjourned the matter till June 22 for trial and possibly the hearing of the defendants’ bail applications.
The judge ordered the defendants to remain in the custody of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Abuja.