By THOMPSON YAMPUT

A High Court sitting in Lokoja has adjourned the trial of two police inspectors for alleged involvement in Kidnapping and armed robbery to Nov. 25.

The defendants, Sunday Ibrahim and Gabriel Ogunleye, are standing trial with Moses Oguche and Michael Kayode (first and second defendants), both working with Kogi Hunters Association.

They were arraigned before Justice Moses Gwantana of High Court V, Lokoja, on Wednesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that all the defendants pleaded not guilty to the criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and kidnapping charges levelled against them.

They were alleged to have used A-47 rifle to rob Yusuf Mustapha and David Kabo, both residents of Crusher/Felele in Lokoja, of an iPhone and N48,000, sometime in June 2024 and so committed an offence contrary to sections 97, 298 ? and 4(3)(b) of Kogi penal codes.

When the case came up for defence, the two inspectors expressed surprise over their arrest and trial for the alleged offences.

While Ibrahim, a regular policeman, was posted from Ofa division in Kwara, Ogunleye, a mobile police officer from Afon division of Kwara, was also posted to AIG Zone 8, Lokoja.

Both were posted for three-month and one-month special assignments, respectively.

Ibrahim told the court that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) had already dismissed him from the force over his ongoing trial, while Ogunleye said that his salaries were stopped for reasons not known to him.

Led in evidence by their Counsel, Mr Liman Salihu, Ibrahim said he was at his duty post at the Sand Bar in AIG?s office in Zone 8, Lokoja, when three police officers came to invite him to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) office at the state Police Command.

?On getting to the CID office, I was shown the other three accused persons, whom they (police) claimed I conspired with, kidnapped and robbed some persons I don?t even know.

?I was asked to write my statement and since June 2024, I was detained along with the three accused persons for three months before taken to court.

?I have been remanded since then.

?I don?t know the first and second defendants. I only met them at the police command,? Ibrahim said.

During cross examination by Dr Abdullahi Zakari, the Prosecution Counsel and Director, Civil Litigation, Ministry of Justice, Ibrahim said he was no longer a serving police officer.

He also said, ?I don?t know who reported me because I have been in NPF for 19 years without any bad record until this case came up and I was just dismissed.?

Also, the fourth defendant, Ogunleye, said he joined the NPF in 2003 and had maintained clean record until his posting to Kogi for one month special duty, where he was surprisingly accused of committing the said offences.

Led in evidence by Salihu, Ogunleye said he was at his duty post when three plain clothe police officers, attached to the state CID, visited and told him to come to their office, when he closed from work.

?I closed and went to the CID office at the state command at about 9pm and was shown the other defendants.

?They asked whether I know them and I said no, I don?t.

?I was then asked to write my statement but I told them I won?t write until I see my lawyer or a member of my family.

?They asked whether I was aware of the kidnapping and armed robbery incident and I said no.

?It was after that, that I was moved to the Quick Response Unit office.

?On June 8, 2024, I was brought out to write my statement. I refused.

?They wrote it by themselves and asked me to sign but I refused,? he said.

During cross examination by Zakari, Ogunleye said that he only got to know the third defendant, Ibrahim, as a mobile police officer and that both of them were in the AIG?s office.

?I don?t have any relationship with Sunday Ibrahim.

?He?s a mobile police officer while I am a regular policeman.

?I only got to know that both of us are in AIG?s office for special duties.

?I have put in 22 years in service. But my salary has been stopped because of this case,? he told the court.

The other defendants, Moses and Kayode, also denied involvement in any of the offences they were being tried for.

Justice Moses Gwantana, after listening to the defences of the defendants, adjourned the case to Nov. 25, for the adoption of final written or oral addresses. (NAN)

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