July 02, (THEWILL) – A Chief Magistrate Court 1 sitting in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, has ordered the remand of five suspected Fulani militia over alleged criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping, acts of terrorism, rape and culpable homicide.
When the case was called, the prosecuting officer, Inspector Jonah Uletu, reading from the First Information Report, told the court that the police in Oturkpo Local Government Area, led by CSP Terfa Njoghul, arrested the suspects following a report from one Silas Onyilo on June 13, 2024, about armed armed Fulani men dressed in army uniform.
The prosecution further alleged that the accused persons blocked Oturkpo Federal Highway at Ojano Village of Ohimini Local Government Area, robbed passengers of two Benue Links commercial buses of their phones, money and other valuables at gunpoint, shot and killed on the spot one of the drivers, late Gabriel Okpale, and moved over 20 passengers to Oglewu forest, where they held them hostage, raped one female passenger and collected ransom of N18 million before releasing the victims.
According to the prosecution, the arrested suspects were identified by their victims and they confessed to committing the crimes while others are still at large.
He listed the five suspects to include Saleh Hassan, Yakubu Kanje, Inusa Idris, Yusuf Ibrahim and Yahuza Idris all of Keana and Aweh Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State.
Uletu said the suspects’ actions contravened Sections 6(b) and 1(1) (2) (a)(b) of the Robbery and Firearms Special Provisions Acts 2024, Sections 3(1) and 4(2) of Abduction, Hostage Taking, Kidnapping, Cult and Similar Activities Prohibition law of Benue State 2017, and Sections 284 and 222 of the Penal Code Law of Benue State 2004.
The presiding Chief Magistrate, Mr Kelvin Mbanongun, adjourned the case till September 3, 2024, for further mention and ordered the suspects to be remanded at the Federal Correctional Center, Makurdi.
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