The Federal Government of Nigeria, on Thursday, arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja, six persons accused of dealing on human parts.
In the four-count charge it brought before the court, the government alleged that the Defendants- Adejoh Tijani, Ocholi Tijani, Damodu Zekari, Danlami Shaibu, Michael Yahaya and Emmanuel Amanyi- masterminded several kidnappings in Abuja, Jos and Kogi state in Nigeria’s North Central region.
It told the court that four of their alleged accomplices- Male Isiaka, lsmila Agege, Papa Alhaji and Blessing Ismila Agege, are currently at large.
Specifically, FG, in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/230/2022, which was endorsed by the Inspector General of Police, alleged that the Defendants had “on or about the month of October, 2021 at Kogi State, Abuja and Jos within the Abuja Judicial Division, kidnapped and took several persons on hostage, some of them you killed and removed their vital parts”.
They were accused of committing an offence contrary to section 1 and 11 of the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2011.
The defendants were said to be armed with assorted weapons, robbed and dispossessed several persons of their belongings, including one Alhaji Ibrahim Abalaka, a resident ofAdumu Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
It told the court that the Defendants were found with locally made pistols and other dangerous weapons, after they were arrested by security agents, following a tip-off by community leaders in Kogi state.
Though the Defendants mounted the dock on Thursday, they were however unable to take their plea owing to an error on the charge sheet.
The court established that they committed an offence contrary to Section 3 of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act, 2004.