A notorious kidnapper, Hamisu Bala, popularly known as Wadume, has been sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment.
Wadume was convicted by a Federal High Court in Abuja presided by Justice Binta Nyako.
He was convicted alongside two others of the 13-count charges preferred against them.
Justice Nyako’s judgement was delivered on July 22, 2022 and made available to journalists on Sunday.
Also convicted was Aliyu Dadje, a police inspector, who was the station officer at the police headquarters at Ibi Local Government Area of Taraba State, to three years’ imprisonment for tampering with the record to conceal a crime.
Aside Wadume and Dadje, others charged with them are Auwalu Bala (aka Omo Razor), Uba Bala (aka Uba Delu), Bashir Waziri (aka Baba Runs), Zubairu Abdullahi (aka Basho) and Rayyanu Abdul.
Justice Nyako also sentenced Delu, Abdullahi, and Abdul to seven years’ imprisonment.
However, she discharged and acquitted Omo Razor and Baba Runs, for lack of evidence.
Wadume and others were arraigned by the Attorney General of the Federation with charges of kidnapping, murder, terrorism and illegal arms.
They were arraigned after the killing of three police officers and two civillians on August 6, 2019 by some soldiers.
The officers were from the Intelligence Response Team, Abuja.
They were ambushed and brutally murdered after they arrested Wadume at Ibi in Taraba state.
At the beginning of the case, 10 military officers earlier charged with the convicts, but were later separated for departmental reasons.
The military officers are: Captain Tijjani Balarabe; Staff Sgt David Isaiah; Sgt Ibrahim Mohammed; Corporal Bartholomew Obanye; Private Mohammed Nura; Lance Corporal Okorozie Gideon; Corporal Marcus Michael; Lance Corporal
Nvenaweimoeimi Akpagra; Staff Sgt Abdulahi Adamu and Private Ebele Emmanuel.
Wadume has been remanded at the Kuje Custodial Centre Abuja since his arraignment.