Court remands 37–year old engineer

From Omale Adama Lokoja

A 37-year-old Engineer, Bashir Lawal was yesterday remanded in custody at the Federal Prison, Idah on the orders of a Lokoja Senior Magistrate Court over alleged kidnap of a retired police officer, Mr Sule Amichi.

Senior magistrate Rachael Omajali gave the order in Lokoja on arraignment of Lawal of Igala-Ogba, Idah, who was alleged to have led 11 others to kidnap the retired police officer.

According to Mr Friday Shaibu, the prosecuting police officer, Amichi and his driver, Abraham Ocheje were on their way from Lokoja to Idah, on Anyigba-Ojodu road were double crossed by the accused and his alleged gang, who were armed with dangerous weapons including Barretta pistols.

Amichi and his driver were alleged to have been subjected to torture and forcefully robbed of N80,000 at a gun-point while video recording of their kidnap was sent to family members and friends of the victims but were released at about 6:40 pm.

Lawal was charged with criminal conspiracy, criminal force, criminal intimidation, armed robbery contrary to sections 97 (1), 265, 379, 298 of the Penal Code Law and sections 3(1)(b) of Kogi State Kidnapping,thuggery and other related offences (prohibition) Law 2010.

The prosecuting officer, Shaibu, applied for another date for further mention of the case saying that investigation was on-going as he objected to granting of bail to the accused on the ground that the offences were heinous, grievous and not bailable.

Counsel to the accused, S.A. Abbas applied for bail of the accused in line with sections 36(5) of the 1999 constitution as amended and section 341(2)(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC).

Omajali in her ruling refused the bail application “due to severity of punishment in the event of conviction of the accused” and ordered that the accused be remanded at Federal Prisons, Idah.