By Mardiyyah Abubakar
The Bauchi State High Court has sentenced three people to 21 years in prison each for criminal conspiracy, kidnapping and child abduction.
Justice Farouq Sarki delivered the judgment on Wednesday following a two-year trial involving 11 defendants.
The trial began in March 2024 after the Bauchi State Police Command arrested suspected members of a syndicate linked to the abduction of seven children from the state in December 2023.
The children, all below the age of 10, reportedly went missing at different times between 2016 and 2023. The suspects allegedly took them to the eastern part of the country and sold them.
Police later rescued the children and reunited them with their families.
In his judgment, Justice Sarki sentenced three defendants to 21 years’ imprisonment each, without an option of a fine. Two were convicted on all 21 counts, while the third was found guilty on three counts.
The court discharged and acquitted the remaining eight defendants.
Reacting to the judgment, the State Solicitor-General, Sabi’u Gumba, said the ruling had brought justice to the victims and their families, who suffered emotional trauma during the period of the abductions.
Gumba described the ordeal of parents who did not know the whereabouts of their children as distressing and said the sentences were justified.
However, Ogbuchi Ben, counsel for the third defendant, said his client would appeal the conviction, arguing that there was no basis for the decision.
Florence Bwala, counsel for the second defendant, also confirmed that her client had the right to appeal the judgment.
Meanwhile, the Bauchi State Government has urged parents, guardians and communities to remain vigilant and take necessary steps to protect children from abduction and other forms of exploitation.
