An Abuja Federal High Court presided over by Justice Binta Nyako has sentenced kidnap kingpin Hamisu Bala, better known as Wadume, and two others, to seven years’ imprisonment.
The judge convicted Wadume of two of the 13-count charges against him and two others.
The court equally convicted Aliyu Dadje, a police inspector who was the station officer at the police headquarters at Ibi Local Government Area of Taraba State, to three years’ imprisonment for tampering with the record to conceal a crime.
Aside Wadume and Dadje, others charged with them are Auwalu Bala (aka Omo Razor), Uba Bala (aka Uba Delu), Bashir Waziri (aka Baba Runs), Zubairu Abdullahi (aka Basho) and Rayyanu Abdul.
Justice Nyako also sentenced Delu, Abdullahi, and Abdul to seven years’ imprisonment.
She, however, discharged and acquitted Omo Razor and Baba Runs, for want of evidence.
The judgement was delivered on July 22 but was made available to newsmen on Sunday, August 14.
Wadume and others were arraigned by the Attorney General of the Federation with charges of kidnapping, murder, terrorism and illegal arms.
The charges followed the killing of three police officers and two civillians on August 6, 2019 by some soldiers.
The policemen, who were from the Intelligence Response Team, Abuja, had arrested Wadume at Ibi before they were ambushed on the road by the military men.
Ten military officers earlier charged with the convicts, whose trial were separated for departmental reasons, are: Captain Tijjani Balarabe; Staff Sgt David Isaiah; Sgt Ibrahim Mohammed; Corporal Bartholomew Obanye; Private Mohammed Nura; Lance Corporal Okorozie Gideon; Corporal Marcus Michael; Lance Corporal Nvenaweimoeimi Akpagra; Staff Sgt Abdulahi Adamu and Private Ebele Emmanuel.