A Magistrate Court sitting at Kofar Fada, Zaria in Kaduna State has sentenced one Bashir Adamu, 25, a resident of Sadauki road in Wusasa, Zaria to 14 years imprisonment for threat to life and attempted kidnapping.
The Chief Magistrate, Zainab Garba, in her ruling said the sentence was pursuant to section 247 (3) of the Penal Code Law and gave no option of fine.
Daily Trust reports that Bashir Adamu, a mason and commercial motorcyclist was arraigned on charges bordering on threat to life and attempt to commit kidnapping of his boss and neighbour, one Kenneth Chinanuife.
The prosecutor, Insp. Abdullahi Sarki, told the court that on Oct. 12, 2020, at about 8 pm, Kenneth Chinanuife, a businessman of No. 11 Park Road Sabon Gari, Zaria reported at the Federal Intelligence Bureau, Intelligence Response Team Base of Puff Adder at Rigachikun Kaduna that on Oct. 8, 2020 he received a call from a GSM number threatening to kidnap him if he did not provide N1 million.
The prosecutor told the court that the caller had told Chinanuife that he was a member of a kidnapping syndicate at Wusasa, Zaria. The prosecutor had explained that detectives had traced and arrested Adamu in the process of collecting the ransom in which N108, 000 was recovered from him.
When the charges were read, the defendant said he understood the charges and pleaded guilty while the prosecutor applied for summary trial under section 367 (3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
Adamu who did not object to the application pleaded for leniency and mercy. However, in her ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Garba, said she would have been lenient since the defendant was a first-time offender but said her hands were tight especially since the offence was rampant in the society and that 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.
The convict was among the 25 suspects paraded by the police on Jan 20th in connection with kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, cattle rustling among others.