Court remands 2 over abduction, death of ex-prisons controller

A Federal High Court in Abuja has remanded two men charged by the government with the abduction and killing of a former controller of prisons in Benue State, Musa Tijjani Dalhatu. The duo of Bello Haruna and Shehu Abdullahi were arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, abduction and causing the death of the […]

A Federal High Court in Abuja has remanded two men charged by the government with the abduction and killing of a former controller of prisons in Benue State, Musa Tijjani Dalhatu.

The duo of Bello Haruna and Shehu Abdullahi were arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, abduction and causing the death of the deceased, offences said to be contrary to Section 15(1)(b) of the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013.

The prosecution counsel, Adewumi Aluko, from the Federal Ministry of Justice, told the court that Haruna, from Shinga village and Abdullahi of Passau village, both of Jere, Kagarko LGA of Kaduna State on September 5, 2018 conspired with others now at large to “seize one Alhaji Musa Tijjani Dalhatu (now deceased)” at Kwaita village, Kwali, Abuja.

They were alleged to have demanded for the sum of N10million from the family of the deceased as ransom for his release. They also allegedly threatened to kill the deceased after collecting N2.2million out of the N10million they demanded from his family.

The charge also alleged that the defendants “knowingly in furtherance of an act of terrorism did commit an act of terrorism by continuing to detain one Alhaji Musa Tijjani Dalhatu (now deceased) and attacked his life and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(2)(b) of the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013.

Upon their pleas of not guilty to the five-count charge, the judge, Justice Binta Nyako ordered that they be remanded in Kuje custodial centre and adjourned the case to April 8 for hearing.