By John Azu
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu has arraigned a 23-year-old man, Ibrahim Aboubakar, over his alleged involvement in the kidnapping and killing of a pastor, Nicholas Akor Alfa, and another man, Elijah Nweke, in Abuja.
Aboubakar was arraigned on Thursday before Justice Salim Ibrahim of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on a six-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/618/2026.
The charges bordered on alleged membership of a terrorist group, conspiracy, kidnapping, hostage-taking, illegal possession of firearms and the killing of the two victims at Gbagalape Forest, Nyanya, Abuja.
A co-defendant, Abubakar Shuaibu, 22, was initially listed in the charge but was subsequently removed following his illness and death in hospital.
At the commencement of proceedings, prosecution counsel Dabo Yakubu, a lawyer with the IGP’s Special Tactical Squad, applied for Shuaibu’s name to be struck out pursuant to Section 216 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.
The application was not opposed by defence counsel Enyisal Lawrence.
After the six counts were read to him, Aboubakar pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The prosecution subsequently applied for a trial date, and Justice Ibrahim adjourned the case until November 26.
In the first count, the prosecution alleged that Shuaibu, of Nyanya, Abuja; Aboubakar, of Keffi, Nasarawa State; and others still at large conspired and armed themselves with guns and other dangerous weapons to kidnap Nweke and Pastor Alfa on or about May 16 at Gbagalape, Nyanya.
In the second count, the defendants were accused of invading residential houses, seizing the victims and detaining them for ransom.
The prosecution further alleged that in April, the defendants, while armed with guns and other dangerous weapons, seized and held Nweke and Alfa hostage at Gbagalape Forest.
According to the police, the suspects subsequently negotiated with the victims’ families and demanded ₦8 million as ransom for their release.
Another count accused the defendants and others still at large of detaining the victims at Gbagalape Forest and shooting them dead without provocation.
In count five, the prosecution alleged that Aboubakar and Shuaibu confessed in June 2026, at the FID Special Tactical Squad office in Guzape, Abuja, to belonging to a terrorist group involved in armed robbery, kidnapping and hostage-taking in parts of Nasarawa State and the Federal Capital Territory.
The offences are punishable under relevant provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The defendant’s plea of not guilty means the allegations remain to be established in court.