The Niger State Police Command is on the trail of three soldiers and two police officers, including an Assistant Superintendent of Police, allegedly involved in an attempted abduction and assassination on Senator Mohammed Sani Musa representing Niger East Senatorial District in the state.
This was made known by the State Criminal Cnvestigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), while arraigning five other suspects arrested in connection with the incident at the Chief Magistrate Court 1 in Minna on Friday.
Those arrested and arraigned in court include Felix Clarkson, Oladele Peter Akano, Abdul Salisu, Inspector Babagana Alhaji.
According to the Police First Information Report (FIR), the three soldiers from the 31 Artillery Brigade Minna, including CPL Mohammed J, who are now at large, were armed with AK-47 rifles deployed to 31 Artillery Brigade Minna during the aborted kidnapping of the Senator.
The FIR stated that two of the suspects nabbed at the Senator’s house in Minna, Oladele Peter Akano and Sheriff Jimbarima, presented themselves as Army personnel and staff from office of the National Security Adviser to gain access into his residence.
They are standing trial on six count charges of criminal conspiracy, attempt to commit an offence, kidnapping, attempt to commit an offence with armed robbery, criminal trespass, impersonating a public servant and mischief to property.
The prosecuting police officers, ASP Abdullahi Mayaki and Inspector Aliyu Yakubu, explained that the offences contravened sections 3 (1), 3 (2) of the kidnapping law of Niger State 2016 and sections 95, 348, 132, and 327 of the penal code.
According to the prosecuting officers, “during police investigation the suspects all confessed to have conspired among yourselves together with ASP Mohammed Umar, Inspector Yakubu Gabriel and three other at large to board a bus from Abuja to Minna for the kidnap operation”.
However, when the charges were read by the presiding Chief Magistrate Mallam Adamu Abubakar the suspects all pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor then prayed the court to remand them in correctional custody just as efforts are ongoing by the police to effect arrest of those at large.
Consequently, the presiding magistrate ordered the suspects to be remanded in Minna correctional custody while adjourning the case to January 3, 2023.
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