The chief judge of Taraba, Justice Joel Agya, on Friday, sentenced Yusuf Adamu and Adamu Abdullahi to death by hanging for kidnapping Balkisu Kambe and Maryam Musa in Gashaka Local Government of the state. 

Mr Agya, while delivering the judgement in Jalingo, said the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt. 

The judge said the duo committed the crime in 2019. 

The prosecution counsel, Samson Gimba, had told the court that Ms Musa was kidnapped on September 2, 2019, at Serti, while Ms Kambe was kidnapped in Angwan America in Baruwa on September 29, 2019.

He also found them guilty of criminal conspiracy and illegal possession of firearms and sentenced each to 10 years without an option of fine.

The judge said the sentence on criminal conspiracy and illegal possession of firearms would take effect from 2019 when they were arrested and detained. 

Besides, the judge said the convicts made confessional statements about the crime and collected ransom. 

He noted that one of the victims, Ms Kambe identified the defendants as members of the gang that abducted her in her house when they could not find her husband.

Ms Kambe said they unmasked themselves when they took her to the bush for two days before her husband sent them N1 million ransom.

“Based on section three, paragraph 8 of the Kidnapping and Abduction Law of Taraba 2019, I hereby sentence you to death by hanging on the neck; may God have mercy on your souls.

“You, however, have the right to apply to the Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy for the sentence to be committed to life imprisonment, especially since no life was lost in the process of kidnapping,” the judge said.

Mr Gimba hailed the judgement as sound and commendable.

Mahanar Puki, counsel to the defendants, had pleaded for mercy when the guilty verdict was pronounced before the judge passed the sentence. 

Mr Puki had told the court that the convicts were first-time offenders and had shown remorse throughout the trial and should be shown mercy.

(NAN)