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The Chief Judge of Adamawa State, Justice Nathan Musa, has rejected the bail application filed by a kidnapper sentenced to 70 years imprisonment for the abduction of a nursing mother and her one-year-old son.
The convict, one Layi Musa, sought bail pending an appeal filed by his counsel, H. S. Garba, at the Court of Appeal, Yola Division, on the grounds that he was a father of 16 children, ill and would therefore not jump bail.
The father of 16 vigorously sought to be released from prison custody after he was convicted by the state chief judge without an option of a fine for kidnapping, housebreaking, and unlawful possession of weapons on March 1, 2021.
Layi, who appeared in court for the hearing of his bail application pending appeal, had together with Buba Sidiki, Buba Mohammed, and Shanu Kori, his accomplices in the abduction of the victim, Aishatu Suleiman, and her one-year-old son, tried, convicted and sentenced to jail terms after being found guilty of the offence on March 1, 2021.
It was learnt that the convict and his accomplices on July 6, 2020, at 1am, abducted Aishatu and her son at Yolde-Pate in the Yola South Local Government Area and took them to Chambaji hill.
Armed with weapons, the kidnappers were said to have stormed the home of their victims through the fence and whisked the duo off to the hill.
Our correspondent learnt that the nursing mother and her child spent two days on the hill and regained their freedom after payment of N1m as ransom.
Upon complaint by the husband, Aliyu Suleiman, who gave the State Intelligence Bureau section of the police command the mobile used by the convicts to contact him and demand ransom, officers of the bureau and the anti-kidnapping unit of the police reportedly tracked and arrested Musa, who was later convicted, while his three accomplices escaped.
Layi, who later confessed to the crime, was tried and convicted at the state high court presided over by Justice Nathan. In his application filed on June 14, he sought an order admitting him to bail pending his appeal before the appellate court.
But the prosecution, in a counter-affidavit in opposing the bail application dated June 14, 2022, and deposed to by Hanis Dedan, said the convict had yet to appeal against the judgement, adding that the period allowed by law for an appeal had elapsed.
The prosecution added that the convict only filed a motion on notice at the Court of Appeal seeking, among other prayers, the enlargement of time within which to appeal against the judgement.
The prosecution further averred that no appeal by the convict was pending at the Court of Appeal, adding that there was no medical report to show that Musa was suffering from any known ailment.
City Round noted that it was further argued that there was no statement given by the Nigerian Correctional Service, indicating a lack of facility to house or take care of the inmates, including the convict, and urged the court to reject the application.
In his ruling, Justice Nathan rejected the bail application for lack of proof of appeal filed at the Court of Appeal to warrant granting bail to the convicted kidnapper and dismissed the application for lack of merit.
