2 To Die By Hanging For Kidnapping 2 Women In Taraba

In a recent ruling by the Taraba High Court 1, presided over by Chief Judge Justice Joel Agya, Yusufa Adamu and Adamu Abdullahi were sentenced to death by hanging for kidnapping Balkisu Kambe and Maryam Musa in Gashaka Local Government area in 2019.

Justice Agya found the prosecution's case convincing, establishing the guilt of the duo beyond reasonable doubt. Additionally, the court convicted them of criminal conspiracy and illegal possession of firearms, each carrying a 10-year jail term without an option of fine. These sentences are effective from their arrest and detention in 2019.

The judge noted the defendants' confessional statements regarding the kidnappings and highlighted the victims' identification of the convicts as members of the gang. Kambe, one of the victims, recognized the defendants when they abducted her and held her captive until her husband paid a ransom of N1,000,000.

Under Section 3, Paragraph 8 of the Kidnapping and Abduction Law of Taraba 2019, the court sentenced the convicts to death by hanging, with the option to seek clemency from the Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, considering no lives were lost during the kidnappings.

Prosecution counsel Samson Gimba applauded the judgment, while defense counsel Mahanar Puki appealed for mercy, citing the convicts' first-time offense.