Makurdi:A 25-year-old man, Shaibu Usman, has been remanded by a Magistrate’s Court in Makurdi for allegedly robbing 16 cattle valued at N15 million.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Usman, a resident of Ekwerege in Ado Local Government Area, faces charges of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, and acts of terrorism. The court did not take his plea due to a lack of jurisdiction.
The magistrate, Mrs. Erdoo Ter, ordered Usman’s remand at the Correctional Service Centre in Makurdi and postponed the case until October 27 for further mention.
The prosecutor, Inspector Godwin Ato, reported that the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Makurdi from the Police Divisional Headquarters in Ado, Igumale, via a letter dated September 7 addressed to the state Commissioner of Police.
Ato alleged that on May 15, Monday Enoh and Joseph Enoh were at Table Water Riverside along Agedagba Forest in Utonkon when they were attacked by about seven armed herders, purportedly led by Usman, also known as ‘Mobey’. The prosecutor claimed that the suspects forced the complainants to lie face down, tortured them, and stole their valuables, including the 16 cattle.
Police investigation led to Usman’s arrest, during which he allegedly confessed to the crimes. The other suspects remain at large. Ato stated that the offences contravene sections of the Robbery and Firearms Act, 2004, and the Abduction, Hostage-Taking, Kidnapping, Secret Cult and Similar Activities Prohibition Law of Benue, 2017.