Court sentences mastermind of Kano children’s abduction to 104 years in prison

Justice Zuwaira Yusuf of the Kano State High Court on Friday sentenced one Paul Owne to 104 years imprisonment for masterminding the abduction of nine children in the state.

The judge found the convict guilty in all the 38-count charge and sentenced him accordingly.

She also fined Owne in the sum of N100,000.

The convict had earlier pleaded guilty to the charges.

But six other defendants who were arraigned alongside him pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Justice Yusuf said: “I find Owne guilty on counts two, eight, nine, 27 and 34. I hereby sentence him to seven years imprisonment on each of the counts without an option of fine, in addition to paying the sum of N100,000 fine.

“The court also found Owne guilty on counts three, five, 10, 11, 22, 28 and 38. I sentence him to seven years in a correctional centre on each of the counts.”

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The judge held that the convict was found guilty on counts four, 12, 13, 29 and 38, and sentenced him to four years in prison on each of the counts without an option of fine.

She, however, said the sentences would run concurrently and ordered the remand of the six other defendants in a correctional centre for the continuation of trial.

Owne and six other persons were first arraigned on November 13, 2020, for the kidnap of nine children, who were trafficked from Kano to Anambra State.

The other defendants are – Mercy Paul, Ebere Ogbono, Emmanuel Igwe, Loise Duru, Monica Oracha and Chinelo Ifedegwu.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Mahmoud Balarabe, told the court that the defendants arraigned for conspiracy, kidnapping and trafficking of children from Kano to Anambra sometime in 2019.

He said the offences contravened the provisions of Sections 97(1), 273, 277 of the Penal Code and Section 32 (5) of the Children and Young Persons Law of Kano State, 2012.

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