SEVEN ARRAIGNED OVER MIKEL'S FATHER'S KIDNAP

Seven arraigned over Mikel's father's kidnap.

court case over the kidnap of the football star's dad begins

By Jay Doherty International
Oct 19, 2011 -08:30pm

Police in Jos have arraigned seven persons in connection with the kidnap of Pa Michael Obi, father of the Chelsea star, Mikel Obi. They included a Nigerien and two soldiers, who were former members of the Special Task Force.

The seven were brought before a Federal High Court, in Jos on three counts of conspiracy, kidnapping and terrorism. When the charges were read to them, they all pleaded not guilty.

Those arraigned before Justice Ambrose Alagoa were Sule Ibrahim (a Nigerien) Basil Chukwuma, Friday, Ifeanyi Hycinth, Jacob Zekeri, and the two soldiers Jaduwa Thalma and Victor Essien. The crime allegedly committed by the accused, according to the court, is contrary to section 516 of the criminal code and section 1 sub-section 2 (c) of the terrorism Act 2011.

The charge reads, “At about 12th of August 2011, along Rayfield road Jos, Jos South local government of Plateau state, you agreed to commit an act of terrorism; an attack on person’s life which may cause serious bodily harm and kidnapping of a person when you attacked one Michael Obi, brutalised him, forced him into a waiting military vehicle and later transferred him into a Peugeot car with registration NO BG 282 GWA and took him to Kano where you demanded for a N1bn ransom as condition for his release.”