The Enugu State Magistrate Court has remanded in the custody of the anti-kidnapping unit of the state police command three suspected kidnappers pending when Enugu Correctional Service Centre starts receiving new inmates.

The three – Osigbo Chijioke, Chukwujekwu Ugwu and Ubaka Odoh – are undergoing trials for allegedly kidnapping 14 passengers on transit from Abuja to Onitsha in 2019.

They were arraigned by the State Police Command on a five-count marked MEN/221c/2020 between them and the Commissioner of Police.

During their arraignment on Friday, Police Prosecutor, DSP Opara Matthew, told the court that the accused persons and other members of the gang now at large had on 30 June 2019 wore a military and police uniforms, blocked Enugu – Makurdi road pretending to be joint security team and stopped a vehicle carrying 14 passengers, taking them hostage.

He added that the suspects, after dispossessing their victims of all their belongings, took them to Enugu Ezieke in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State where they kept them in the house of a medical doctor who is the brother to one of the accused.

Matthew told the court that four female hostages were raped for four days while in their captivity.

After the charge was read to the accused persons because it is a bind-over case, they could not take their plea. Opara told the court to remand the accused persons in Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the police command, pending when the Custodial Centre of the Nigeria Correctional Service in the state starts receiving new inmates.

He told the court that the offence of the suspects upon conviction is punishable under section 316 and 495 (a) of the criminal code cap 30 Vol.II Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria 2004. Also punishable under section 315(2) of the criminal code Cap 30 Vol. II Laws of Enugu state of Nigeria as amended 2009.

He said the offence is also punishable under section 1(2) (a) (b) of armed robbery and firearms (special provision) Act RII Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 as applicable to Enugu state.

Consequently, the presiding Chief Magistrate, O. S. Okolo, ordered the remand of the accused persons in Anti-kidnapping unit of the Enugu Police Command pending the time the Enugu Correctional Service Centre starts receiving new inmates and directed the case file to be transferred to the Director of Public Prosecution for advice.

Some of the charges read:

“That you Osigbo Chijioke ‘m’, Chukwujekwu Ugwu ‘m’, Ubaka Odoh ‘m’ and others now at large on or before 30th day of June 2019 at Ihiaka Junction Igbo-Eze South LGA in Nsukka Magisterial District did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to-wit: kidnapping and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 495 (a) of the criminal code cap 30 Vol.II Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria 2004.

“That you Osigbo Chijioke ‘m’, Chukwujekwu Ugwu ‘m’, Ubaka Odoh ‘m’ and others now at large on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned magisterial district did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to-wit: armed robbery and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 1(2) (a) of the armed robbery and firearms (special provision) Act, R.II Laws of the Federation of Nigeria as applicable to Enugu state.

“That you Osigbo Chijioke ‘m’, Chukwujekwu Ugwu ‘m’, Ubaka Odoh ‘m’ and others now at large on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned magisterial district while in company of those armed with guns and offensive weapons did rob one Edwin Ugwuanyi ‘m’ of a cash of N25,000, Cyprian Chidnma ‘f’ N294,000, two tecno phones valued N145,000 each, Nasiru Yusuf ‘m’ N269,000 an Infinix phone valued N140,000, Muktur Musa ‘m’ N283,000 a Samsung phone valued N68,000, Kabiru Auuba ‘m’ N200,000 Samsung A6+ valued N90,000, Al-Mustapha Balarabe ‘m’ N197,000, Salisu Jamilu ‘m’ N200,000 Samsung S7 edge phone valued N120,000, Abdul-Kadir Musa Yarima ‘m’ 530,000 a Tecno phone valued N43,000, Umar Abubakar ‘m’ N210,000, one Tecno phone valued N29,000, Ezeobi Uzochukwu ‘m’ N250,000, one Infinix Hot 7 phone valued N38,000, Emeri Chukwuenyem Dozen ‘m’ N116,000 iPhone 5 phone valued N110,000, Adeleye Samuel ‘m’ N53,000 and Infinix hot 6 valued N55,000, Sunday Ezugwu ‘m’ N45,000 and Itel phone valued 30,000, Esther Onoja ‘f’ N460,000 and M1 Android phone valued N36,000 and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 1(2) (a) (b) of armed robbery and fire arms (special provision) Act RII Laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004 as applicable to Enugu state.

“That you Osigbo Chijioke ‘m’, Chukwujekwu Ugwu ‘m’, Ubaka Odoh ‘m’ and others now at large on the same date, time and at Amufia village in Igbo-Eze North LGA, Nsukka magisterial district while in company of those armed with guns and offensive weapons did unlawfully, with intimidation and fraudulently had carnal knowledge of one Cyprian Chidnma ‘f’ 25 and Esther Onoja ‘f’ 28 and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 309 of the criminal code Cap 30 Vol. II Laws of Enugu state of Nigeria 2004,” it read in part.