Bauchi Court Sentences Three to 21 Years Each for Kidnapping Seven Children

The Bauchi State High Court has sentenced three persons to 21 years’ imprisonment each for criminal conspiracy, kidnapping and abduction involving seven children.

Justice Farouq Sarki delivered the judgment after a two-year trial involving 11 defendants.

The case began in March 2024 following the arrest of suspected members of a syndicate allegedly involved in abducting children from Bauchi State in December 2023.

The children, all below the age of 10, reportedly went missing at different times between 2016 and 2023. They were allegedly taken to the eastern part of the country and sold before police rescued them and reunited them with their families.

Two of the convicts were found guilty on all 21 counts, while the third was convicted on three counts. Each received a 21-year prison sentence without an option of a fine.

The court discharged and acquitted the remaining eight defendants.

Bauchi State Solicitor-General Sabi’u Gumba said the judgment brought justice to the victims and their families, who endured emotional distress while the children were missing.

He described the sentences as appropriate given the gravity of the offences.

However, Ogbuchi Ben, counsel to the third defendant, said the defence would appeal the conviction, arguing that there was no basis for his client’s conviction.

Florence Bwala, counsel to the second defendant, also confirmed that her client could challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal.

The Bauchi State Government urged parents, guardians and communities to remain vigilant and take measures to protect children against abduction and other forms of exploitation.