The Inspector -General of Police , Mohammed Adamu, has slammed 16 counts bordering on terrorism , murder , kidnapping and illegal arms running against the Taraba kidnap kingpin , Bala Hamisu ( aka Wadume ) , Captain Tijjani Balarabe and 18 others .

Also on the list of defendants are Staff Sgt . David Isaiah ; Sgt . Ibrahim Mohammed ; Corporal Bartholomew Obanye ; Private Mohammed Nura; Lance Corporal Okorozie Gideon ; Corporal Markus Michael ; L / Corporal Nvenaweimoeimi Akpagra ; Staff Sgt . Abdullahi Adamu ; Private Ebele Emmanuel ; ASP Aondona Iorbee and Insp . Aliyu Dadje and Auwalu Bala , aka Omo Razor .

Others in the charge sheet are Uba Bala ( aka Uba Belu ); Ahmad Suleiman ( aka Dan Ball ); Bashir Waziri , ( aka
Baba runs ); Zubairu Abdullahi ( aka Basho); Hafizu Bala ( aka Maiwelder ); and Rayyanu Abdul .



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The criminal charge dated February 3 , 2020 , obtained exclusively by our correspondent on Tuesday , was filed by the Assistant Commissioner of Police , Simon Lough ; Anthony Egwu , and Peter Amadi , all of the Legal /Prosecution Section , Force Headquarters, Abuja .

This is coming six months after Wadume was allegedly assisted to escape on August 6 , 2019 , by soldiers attached to Battalion 93 , Takum , led by Balarabe . Wadume escaped when the policemen , who arrested him , were attacked by the troops .

Three policemen and two civilians were killed during the incident , while five other police officers were injured .
Our correspondent had , in an exclusive report on Thursday , revealed that criminal charges against the suspects would be filed at the Federal High Court , Abuja , this week .
Count one of the charge read , “That you, Alhaji Hamisu Bala , 33 , aka Wadume ; Capt . Ahmed Tijjani Balarabe ; ASP Aondona Iorbee ; Insp . Aliyu Dadje ; Auwalu Bala ; Uba Bala ; Ahmad Suleiman ; Bashir Waziri ; Zubairu Abdullahi ; Rayyanu Abdul and others now at large , between February and April 2019 at Takum and Ibi , Taraba State , within the jurisdiction of this court, while acting in concert , conspired together to commit felony , to wit : acts of terrorism , by attacking and kidnapping one Usman Garba , akaMayo , at his filling station in Takum , thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 17 of the Terrorism ( Prevention) Amendment Act 2013 .”

The defendants were also accused of possessing six AK- 47 rifles and dealing in prohibited firearms contrary to Section 27 ( 1 ) ( a ) ( I) and ( 1 ) ( b ) ( iii ) of the Firearms Act Cap F 28 , Laws of the Federation , 2004 .
The police stated that the prosecution would rely on the testimonies of 29 eyewitnesses , some of whom would testify on how one Usman Garba was kidnapped on February 16 , 2019 at Takum by Wadume and his gang .

They allegedly demanded a N 200 m ransom and killed the victim despite receiving N106 . 3m .
“DCP Abba Kyari, CSP Baba Khali , ASP Abdulrahman Mohammed , ASP Bawa James , Insps Habila Samuel and Ilarju Joseph are the investigating police officers in this case ; they will testify about their findings in the course of the investigation and will tender exhibits and documents ,” the police stated .



Listed as exhibits in the case were the written statements of the defendants , photographs of the victims , autopsy reports , six AK -47 rifles recovered from the gang , three empty shells , one live ammunition and six Volkswagen Sharon buses, and one ( police ) Toyota Hiace bus , among others .
Among exhibits attached to the charge were the call logs showing the phone communication between Wadume , Balarabe and the police officers at Ibi Police Station .

In one instance , the logs showed that
Wadume and the army captain exchanged 166 phone calls . Documents also showed that Wadume also made several calls to the Ibi Divisional Police Officer.

Balarabe , 46 , in his statement admitted that Wadume once gave him fish worth N 50 , 000 , adding that he also gave him N200 , 000 to repair a patrol van which was having mechanical problems .”


Source: Puch