The trial of the alleged Taraba State kidnap kingpin , Hamisu Bala, otherwise known as Wadume, will resume at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday .

Our correspondent learnt that the prosecution would , at the resumed hearing on Wednesday , present its seventh witness before Justice Binta Nyako .

This is coming after the sixth witness , Bala James , an Assistant Superintendent of Police , concluded his testimony on October 13 .
Wadume and six others are being prosecuted on 13 counts of kidnapping, escape from custody , gunrunning , detention of kidnap victim Usman Garba , and collection of ransom of N 106m from the victim before releasing him .

Apart from Wadume, the rest of the defendants are Inspector Aliyu Dadje, who was a station officer at police headquarters in Ibi , Auwalu Bala, aka Omo Razor , Uba Bala ( aka Uba Belu ); Bashir Waziri , ( aka Baba Runs ); Zubairu Abdullahi ( aka Basho ); and Rayyanu Abdul.

Wadume was first arrested in Ibi , Taraba State , by members of the Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector -General of Police on August 6 , 2019 before soldiers led by Captain Tijjani Balarabe aided his escape from the custody of the policemen conveying him to Abuja .

The Captain Balarabe-led troops attached to the 93 Battalion in Takum , Taraba State , had allegedly shot at the policemen who were conveying Wadume to Abuja shortly after arresting the prime suspect in Ibi , Taraba State on August 6 , 2019 .

The soldiers were said to have killed three policemen and two civilians while five others were wounded in the attack aimed at freeing Wadume from police custody .

The Attorney – General of the Federation, Mr, Abubakar Malami ( SAN ) , removed the names of the soldiers as defendants from the case within days of taking over the case from the police in July 2020 .

Earlier testifying as the fourth prosecution witness in the case, a member of the IRT of the IGP office, Inspector Samuel Habila , said Wadume escaped with gunshot wounds to Kano after soldiers aided his escape from the police on August 6 , 2019 .

kidnap suspect was rearrested in an investigation -led operation at his uncle , Rayyanu Abdul ’ s place in Kano on August 20 , 2019.

Source:- Punch ng