3 in court for alleged kidnapping, armed robbery

The Police on Wednesday arraigned three suspected armed robbers at a Makurdi Upper Area Court in Benue.

The accused, Suega Orban, 33; Terseer Ivase, 36 and Akkaayar Shija, 42 are charged with criminal conspiracy, kidnapping and armed robbery.

The Police prosecutor, Sgt. Abdulkarim Abubakar, told the court that a team of Operation Zenda Special Crack Squad arrested the accused, suspected to be mebers of armed robbery group at Gboko, Buruku and Ugbema.

Abubakar said that the police team was in the areas in continuation of their trail of kidnappers and armed robbers terrorizing the state.

He said that investigation revealed that the accused, at different intervals, conspired with eight others to kidnap and rob many people in the state.

“During investigation, we discovered that the accused conspired with Terwase Akwaza aka Ghana, Teryila Ugah aka Jugas, Terzungwe Shiaondo aka General, Aondofa Angbasha, Zico, Anongo Usha, Beeior Ayaku and Faeren, all now at large.

“They kidnapped Pa Tsegba, Mrs Suleyoo, Mrs Indyerkaa, Ebere Innocent OX (B) in Gboko and Tarka Local Government and moved them to unknown destination.

“On July 7, they also attacked Kings Inn Hotel, Gboko, and robbed Dr Solomon Obialu, a lecturer at University of Nigeria and his colleagues, of various sums of monies and a laptop valued at N138,000”.

The prosecutor further said that investigation into the matter was ongoing and pleaded with the court for additional time to enable him to complete it.

He said that the offences contravened Section 6 (b), 1 (1) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act and 295 of the Penal Code CAP 124 (Reversed Edition) Laws of Benue state, 2004.

No plea was taken from the accused for want of jurisdiction.

The Magistrate, Ibrahim Mohammed, remanded the accused at the Federal Prison, Makurdi and adjourned the case to Sept. 17 for further mention. (NAN)