Taraba State ‘Kidnap Kingpin,’ Alhaji Hamisu Bala, popularly known as Wadume, has appeared in court after he was arrested in August 2018.
He was on Monday, June 8, arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja, over 13 count charges bordering terrorism, kidnapping and related offence.
His cohorts include Aliyu Dadje (a police Inspector), Auwalu Bala (aka Omo Razor), Uba Bala (aka Uba Delu) Bashir Waziri (aka Baba Runs), Zubairu Abdullahi (aka Basho) and Rayyanu Abdul.
According to Premium Times Nigeria, they earlier faced a 16-count charge which was filed on January 21 this year, by Simon Lough (an Assistant Commissioner of Police) in the name of the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
Although with 20 defendants face charges as regards the series of crimes, only seven of them were present in court on Monday, June 8.
They were all accused of “conspiring to commit felony, to wit: acts of terrorism, by attacking and kidnapping one Usman Garba, aka Mayo, at his filling station in Takum, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 17 of the Terrorism (Prevention) Amendment Act 2013.”
They were also charged for ‘possessing’ six AK-47 rifles and dealing in prohibited firearms, thereby contravening the Section 27 (1)(a)(I) and (1)(b)(iii) of the Firearms Act 2004.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) took over the prosecution of the case on June 3, pursuant to his power under Section 174(2) of the Constitution.