A Chief Magistrate’s Court in Minna on Monday convicted four men, aged between 20 and 30, for kidnapping.

The Chief Magistrate, Jibrin Zabbo, who convicted the quartet after they pleaded guilty to the charge, however, said that they would be sentenced on March 6.

He also ordered that a fifth accused person be remanded in prison custody, and fixed March 6 for the mention of his case after he refused to plead guilty to the charge, like others did.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this is the first case of kidnapping to be heard by a court under the new law outlawing kidnapping and cattle rustling in Niger State.

The law was introduced by the state government in 2016, and came into force on Aug. 3.

The suspects – Samson Taidi, Jibrin Mohamned, Abdulhamid Danladi, Noah Akinoluwa, and Chukwuemeka Daniel, were arraigned before the Chief Magistrate on a one-count charge of conspiracy to kidnap and self kidnapping.

Mr Suleiman Wushishi, the prosecution counsel, told the court that the offence was contrary to sections 3 (1) and 6 (1) of the Kidnapping and Cattle Rustling (special provisions) Law 2016.

Wushishi said that the offence carried a sentence of 14 years imprisonment, without option of fine.

He told the court that Taidi arranged his own kidnap in collaboration with the four others, with the purpose of getting ransom from his parents.

The prosecutor explained that Taidi travelled to Kuta area of the state, together with Jibrin Mohammed, and stayed at the residence of Abdulhamid Danladi.

“Danladi then used his phone to communicate and negotiate a N30,000 ransom with the parents of Taidi in Minna,” the prosecutor told the court.

Wushishi further told the court that Akinoluwa was involved in the scheme because he assisted Taidi with information on the efforts by his family members to secure his release.

He said that Akinoluwa got N6,000 from the ransom for his effort.

When the charge was read to the accused persons, four of them Taidi, Mohammed, Danladi and Akinoluwa pleaded guilty and were convicted without sentence.

The fifth accused person, Daniel, who pleaded not guilty, was remanded in prison custody pending the hearing and determination of the case against him. (NAN)