The Minna Chief Magistrate Court number one ordered Tuesday the remand of 46-year-old Hadiza Mohammad and 46-year-old Usman Alhaji Umar for alleged kidnapping and culpable homicide.
The Presiding Chief Magistrate, Hajiya Uma Mohammed, then ordered the prosecutor, Inspector Bello Mohammed, to, within 14 days, forward the case file to the state Ministry of Justice for legal advice.
They were remanded on four counts of charges that bothered the criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, and cattle rustling laws of Niger State, as well as culpable homicide.
According to the Police First Information Report (FIR), marked MN/CR/01/2024, the three count charges were punishable under sections 3 (1) and 2 (2) of the kidnapping and cattle rustling law of Niger State 2016 and section 221 of the penal code law.
The charge sheet read in part: "On December 30, 2023, one Mohammad Mohammad of Sabon Gida Fulani camp, via Beji in Bosso Local Government Area of Niger State, reported at the Zungeru divisional police command that you Hadiza Mohammad of Sabon Gari area of Wushishi Local Government criminally conspired with others now at large.
"While armed with guns, he invaded his house, kidnapped his younger brother Alhaji Musa Mohammad and his wife Kande Mohammad to an unknown place, and collected the sum of N2.1 million through Abubakar Mohammad as ransom.
"And instead, you all went ahead and killed the said Alhaji Musa Mohammad, while Kande Mohammad managed to escape from captivity," the charge sheet added.
The police prosecutor, Inspector Bello Mohammed, further told the court that police detectives swung into action and effected the arrest of Hadiza Muhammad, and during the police investigation, one Tecno mobile phone, which was collected from the said Abubakar Mohammad, was found in your possession, which you revealed to be given to you by Usman Alhaji Umar".
When the three-count charges were read to the two defendants through an interpreter by the presiding chief magistrate, Hajiya Uma Mohammed, they all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
At this point, the prosecutor told the court that one of the charges cannot be tried by the court as the court lacks jurisdiction for the case of culpable homicide, which is capital in nature and can only be tried in a high court.
He then objected to the bail of the two defendants, said the police would forward the case file to the state ministry of justice for legal advice, and ordered the prosecutor to expedite action.
While remanding them in correctional custody, she then adjourned the case to January 17, 2024, for further hearing.