Four suspected kidnappers have been arraigned on Tuesday at the Makurdi Chief Magistrates’ Court in Benue State.
Teryima Achoho, Solomon Iorver, Aondohemba Alu, and Samuel Achoho – were arraigned on a four-count charge of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping and acts of terrorism for allegedly kidnapping one Mrs. Magdalene Anor in the state.
However, the Magistrate, Mr. Vincent Kor, did not take the defendants’ plea for want of jurisdiction.
He adjourned the matter till October 27 for further mention.
Earlier, the police prosecutor, Insp. Godwin Ato, told the court that the case was reported by the victim’s husband, Alhaji Songo Anor, at the Operation Zenda Joint Task Force, Makurdi, on November 12 last year.
Ato said: “The victim’s husband reported that on November 7, 2021, gunmen numbering about four invaded his residence at Nyon Layout, Makurdi, robbed his wife of an undisclosed amount of money and abducted her to an unknown destination.
“The complainant said the men held his wife hostage for nine days and collected a N3million ransom million before releasing her.
“The men were arrested during a police investigation and they confessed to committing the crime.”
The offence, according to the prosecutor, contravened the provisions of the Robbery and Firearms Act, 2004, and the Hostage Taking, Kidnapping, Secret Cult, and Similar Activities Prohibition Laws of Benue, 2017.