BREAKING: Court Jails Notorious Kidnap Kingpin, Wadume

A Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted and sentenced notorious kidnap kingpin, Hamisu Bala, popularly known as Wadume, to seven years imprisonment without option of fine on Monday.

Wadume was convicted of escaping from lawful custody and unlawfully dealing in prohibited firearms.

Wadume, a suspected Nigerian kidnap-for-ransom kingpin, based in Taraba State but operated across Northeast, was arrested in August 2019 by the Nigerian Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT).

Justice Binta Nyako convicted Wadume on counts two and 10 of the 13-count charge brought against him and six others by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) on behalf of the Federal Government.

Other defendants in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/30/2020 are: Aliyu Dadje (a police inspector), Auwalu Bala (aka omo razor), Uba Bala (aka Uba Delu), Bashir Wazlri (aka baba runs), Zubairu Abdullahi (aka Basho) and Rayyanu Abdul.

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Justice Nyako, in the judgment delivered on July 22 this year, upheld the case of the prosecution team, which included Labaran Magaji and Mrs. Yetunde Cole, as it relates to five out of the seven defendants.

Justice Nyako also convicted and sentenced Inspector Dadje to three years on count seven, in which he was accused of tampering with police record to conceal a crime.

Dadje, who was a Station Officer at the Ibi Divisional Police Headquarters, Ibi Local Government Area, Taraba State was said to have, in August 2019, “willfully tampered with the entry made by the leader of the IGP IRT team, Inspector Felix Adolije, by tearing off the entry page to cover up for Captain Tijani Ahmed Balarabe and his team” upon knowing that an offence of terrorism had been committed by Capt. Balarabe and his team, who attacked and killed three members of the IGP IRT team and two civilians who were in Ibi, Taraba State to make lawful arrest.

Justice Nyako equally convicted and sentenced Uba Bala (aka Uba Delu) and Zubairu Abdullahi (aka Basho) to seven years each on counts three, four, five, six and 11.

The duo, in the four counts, were charged with illegal possession and unlawful dealing in prohibited firearms and ammunition.

Justice Nyako also convicted and sentenced Abdul to three years for harbouring Wadume in his house in Kano after Wadume’s escape from police custody in Ibi.

The judge struck out count one, in which Wadume was charged with kidnaping Usman Garba (aka Mayo) and collecting N106million before releasing him.

She however discharged and acquitted Auwalu Bala (aka Omo Razor) and Bashir Wazlri (aka Baba Runs), who were listed as the 3rd and 5th defendants, for want of evidence.