The police have arraigned kidnap suspect, Bala Hamisu, also known as Wadume, an army captain Tijjani Balarabe and 18 others for terrorism, murder, kidnapping, and possession of illegal arms.
Wadume was on Monday, March 16, arraigned before Justice Binta Nyanko at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
It was learnt that he arrived at the court alongside his co-defendants amidst tight security by the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team.
Earlier, The Herald reported that Ojomo Gbenga Adebowale, an arms dealer arrested by the police in connection to the kidnapper, Hamisu Wadume, revealed how he supplied weapons to the Taraba kidnapper.
Adebowale, who is currently in the custody of the police, explained that the business relationship between him and Wadume started with the supply of six AK-47 and 3000 rounds of ammunition to him.
“I am into firearms dealership,” he said.
Narrating how his business relationship with Wadume evolved, he said: “I got to know him through one Moses. You know the firearm business involves a lot of people; it is not a one-man business; it’s a cartel and we have bases and we are based in different places like Lagos, Ibadan and Onitsha.
“So, I got to know Hamisu through one Moses from Onitsha. This Moses is a friend to one Dooshima and Delili, who happen to be Tiv guys from Benue State.
“Wadume is a friend to Doshima and Delili and they usually come from Makurdi, to see Moses who is my partner in firearms business; that was how I met him.
“There was a time I traveled to do supply in Onitsha; that was the first time I met them and that was about four years ago.
“They came together to Onitsha. He wasn’t my customer, so I didn’t have much dealings with him; I only chatted with him because my business is a mafia kind of business; so I’m careful with the kind of people I deal with.
“Besides, I didn’t want my partner to think that I wanted to snatch his customers from him, so I decided to stay away from them.”