By JULIET OYOYO

A 25 years old man, Bashir Adamu, a resident of Sadauki Road, Wusasa Zaria has been sentenced to 14 years Imprisonment by a Magistrate Court sitting in Zaria City, Kaduna State.

Bashir was charged for threat to life and attempted kidnapping.

The Chief Magistrate, Hajiya Zainab Garba, in her ruling said the sentence was pursuant to section 247 (3) of the Penal Code Law and gave no option for fine to the convict.

The Prosecutor, Inspector Abdullahi Sarki told the court that Bashir Adamu a mason and commercial motorcyclist was arraigned on charges bordering on threat to life and attempt to commit kidnapping contrary to section 247 of the Penal Code.

According to the prosecutor, on October 12, 2020 at about 20.00hrs, one Kenneth Chinanuife, a businessman of No. 11 Park Road Sabon Gari Zaria came to Federal Intelligence Bureau, Intelligence Response Team Base of Puff Adder at Rigachikun Kaduna.

He added that Chinanuife reported that on October 8, 2020, he received a call from a GSM number threatening to kidnap him if he does not provide one million Naira.

He added that the caller told him that he is a member of a syndicate that kidnap people at Wusasa, Zaria.

The Prosecutor said detectives traced and arrested Adamu in the process of collecting the ransom and N108,000 was recovered from him (Adamu) and it contradicts section 247 (3) of the Kaduna State Laws 2017.

The prosecutor applied for summary trial under section 367 (3) of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA stressing that the defendant has pleaded guilty to the charges.

Adamu did not object to the application by the prosecution but pleaded for leniency and mercy.

In her ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Garba said the convict had pleaded for leniency.

” I should have been lenient since he was a first time offender;” she added that her hands were tied based on the punishment provided for the offence.

She added that they should allow the law to take effect, coupled with the fact that the offence was rampant in the society and the punishment would serve as a deterrent to others.

‘I hereby sentence you to 14 years imprisonment without option of fine pursuant to Section 247 (3) of the penal code and you have right of appeal within 30 days,’’ Garba said.

It would be recalled that, the convict was among the 25 suspects paraded by the police on January 20 in connection with kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, cattle rustling among others.

Before his arraignment, Adamu told newsmen that he was a mason and commercial motorcycle rider and worked for the complainant (Chinanuife) who deals in paint and other building materials in Zaria.

He said the motorcycle was his own and he wanted to own a new motorcycle and as a mason he had not been getting work regularly hence his decision to plot the crime.

In an interview with the nominal complainant, Mr Kenneth Chinanuife, he expressed satisfaction over the ruling; however he wanted to appeal to magistrate on the sentence since he knew him.

Mr. Kenneth said he is his neighbor at Wusasa, Zaria and he was unhappy about the sentence, but there was nothing he could do to reduce what the law has stipulated.

He commended the police for the expertise and professionalism on this case, (Daily Independent)

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