Bauchi State Ministry of Justice has arraigned one Rabo Muhammadu of Guggu Village in Nabordo district of Toro Local Government Area of the state over alleged kidnapping and raping of married woman several times.
Deputy Director of litigation Sabiu A Gumba told the court presided by Justice Aliyu Baba Usman of State High Court number four that the offence is contrary to section 3 (1) and punishable under section 11 of the kidnapping, theft of cattle and rape special provision law 2017.
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In their separate statements before police investigators, which were filed in the court by the state counsel, husband of the kidnapped woman Yusuf Lawan said gunmen numbering about three and covering their faces with veils demanded for N1m from him which he didn’t have, they then kidnapped his wife to an unknown destination and dropped a line 09073602385 for negotiation.
He said in the night he informed Alhaji Dogo who advised him to wait until morning to go for search; they searched everywhere but they didnt see the woman. Later they communicated with the kidnappers who reduced the money from N1m to N500,000.
Yusuf said in the process of collecting the money one of the accused was arrested and the rest ran away, adding that “I know one of the kidnappers, he is our neighbor.”
The victim Maryam Yusuf, in her statement, said she has four female children and when she was kidnapped she was taken to Yuga forest where all the three kidnappers raped her severally.
She said she was able to identify one of the kidnappers who is their neighbor.
On their part, the investigator and a vigilante member said when the kidnappers called Yusuf to take the N500, 000 to them they followed him. They two of the kidnappers stayed with the victim while one of them Rabo came out with his gun to collect the money.
“When he understood that he was surrounded by police and vigilante he fired a shot but we shot him and he fell down, making the remaining two to run away. We took him to the police station,” they said.
The accused however pleaded not guilty to all the two count charges and the presiding Judge Justice Aliyu Baba Usman adjourned the case to March 8, 2021 for trial.
