Police arraign man for allegedly kidnapping, killing victims

The Nigerian police, on Thursday, arraigned a 23-year-old man, Ibrahim Aboubakar, for allegedly kidnapping and killing a cleric, Nicholas Alfa, and another man, Elijah Nweke, in Abuja.

Mr Abubakar was arraigned before trial judge Salim Ibrahim of the Federal High Court in Abuja on six counts, including illegal possession of firearms and hostage-taking resulting in the death of victims.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Abubakar and a co-defendant, Abubakar Shuaibu, were named as defendants, but Mr Shuaibu’s name was later deleted from the case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/618/2026.

Prosecution counsel Dabo Yakubu applied to remove Mr Shuaibu’s name as a defendant, a request defence counsel Enyisal Lawrence did not oppose.

Shortly after the case was called, Mr Yakubu, a lawyer from the Inspector General of the Police Special Tactical Squad, informed the court that he had an application pursuant to Section 216 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.

He told the judge that Mr Shuaibu, who was listed as the first defendant, died at Asokoro General Hospital from an undisclosed illness.

The lawyer, therefore, applied that the deceased’s name be deleted from the charge so that Abubakar could take his plea.

Judge Ibrahim then struck out Mr Shuaibu’s name from the charge.

After the six counts were read to Mr Abubakar, he pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The prosecution lawyer then applied for a trial date and the judge adjourned the matter until November 26 November at 11 a.m. for the commencement of trial.

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The police alleged that on 16 May at Gbagalape in Nyanya, Mr Shuaibu, 22, Mr Abubakar, 23, and others said to be at large, armed themselves with guns and other dangerous weapons, conspired and kidnapped Mr Nweke and Mr Alfa for ransom.

They were further alleged to have taken the victims to the Gbagalape Forest where they negotiated with their families forf N8 million ransom.

The offence, the police said, is punishable under sections of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.