The absence of Justice Binta Nyako of a Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday stalled the trial of the Taraba State’s kidnap kingpin, Hamisu Bala, otherwise known as Wadume, and his co-defendants.
Wadume and his co-defendants are standing trial on charges bordering on terrorism and kidnapping brought against them by the Federal Government.
This is the second time in a space of one week that the judge’s absence has stalled Wadume’s trial. Last week, the court had adjourned the matter till Tuesday, July 7, for continuation of trial because the judge didn’t sit.
However, the judge was again unavailable. Lawyers and the defendants had arrived the court for commencement of trial, Tuesday, but were informed that the matter would not go ahead due to unavailability of the judge and they took a new date for July 13, 2020.
Justice Nyako had in an earlier proceedings denied the defendants bail while delivering ruling in their bail application because she “saw no reason to grant them bail”. She ordered accelerated trial which would necessitate weekly sessions.
Wadume and his co-defendants are standing trial on a 13-count amended criminal charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping and collection of N106m ransom, among others.
Other defendants include police inspector, Aliyu Dadje, Auwalu Bala (aka Omo Razor), Uba Bala (aka Uba Delu), Bashir Wazlri (aka Baba Runs), Zubairu Abdullahi (aka Basho), and Rayyanu Abdul.
They pleaded not guilty to all the charges read to them and their lawyers accordingly moved their bail applications, which Justice Nyako declined to grant.
The judge, however, ordered that the defendants be moved from the custody of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the police to the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.
She also ordered that the authorities of the Correctional Centre in Kuje allow the defendants access to medical facility and their lawyers while in their custody.
Wadume was first arrested in Ibi, Taraba State, on August 6, 2019, by policemen from the Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector General of the Police office.
He was arrested for a kidnap case in which he was said to have demanded N106m as ransom.
The alleged kidnapper was being conveyed from Ibi to Jalingo when some soldiers, allegedly led by Captain Tijjani Balarabe, shot at them, killing three of the policemen to free Wadume from custody.
Wadume was later rearrested for interrogation before he was charged along with six others early in June 2020.
The soldiers who were initially charged along with Wadume had their names removed from the charge sheet as defendants by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, which took over the prosecution of the matter from the police.
Malami defended the removal of the soldiers’ names from the charge sheet, noting they would have their day in court soon.
The first prosecution has so far called three witnesses in its efforts to prove its allegations against the defendants.
